Falling So Far
by AwakeAndAliveSpartan
Summary: He was now an angel of death, Death himself, and she had died. He was supposed to take her to the other side, but he couldn't and allowed her to live. He was banished to Earth because of his love for her, just because he didn't have the heart for her to die. Ward now must fight for himself from the beings after him and possibly protect the team. And it was all for love, right?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One (Wings of an Angel)**

(Three Years Into the Future)

"Death, I have a request for you."

Ward nodded, looking at the massive, black-clad angel of death looming in front of him, "Sir?" he asked, rubbing his wrist. "What is it?"

"I know you normally deal with the souls of the wicked, but this case isn't one."

"Then why are you asking me, sir?" Ward asked. "What's the case?"

"I know it's rare for a Reaper of Death like of your level, but you're the only one available at the moment. But you are to ferry a soul to the Netherrealm, to neither Heaven nor hell. Don't goof this up."

Ward frowned, "Grim, sir, why would I mess this up?" he asked. "I haven't messed up in the past three years."

Ward could've sworn that the angel of death was smiling underneath the cover of his skull-like mask and black cloak. "You'll see, Death. You'll see." Grim laughed. "Just do your job like you know how to and don't mess this up. You know the consequences of messing up, don't you?" he asked, his demeanor changing to an icy tone.

Ward gulped and nodded as the angel of death disappeared with the rustle of feathers. What exactly was he to do? It scared him, despite his position as one of the two second-in-command Reapers. There was him, Death, and another angel, Light.

Light was the one responsible for the good souls and ferrying them to Heaven. Ward on the other hand, was responsible for ferrying the souls of the wicked to hell.

The Grim Reaper was the angel of death in charge of them, taking his orders from God. Ward commanded a legion of angels beneath him, the same for Light. He'd never thought that any of this would ever happen to him.

As he stretched out his black wings and lifted off into the sky, the memory of what happened to him three years ago drifted into his mind. The day he was killed.

* * *

(Three Years Ago)

The explosion ripped through the Hydra complex without warning. Ward tried to run from the speeding flames, seeing Skye at the end of the hallway calling out for him.

"Skye!" he screamed. "Skye!"  
"Grant!" she screamed back, unable to move from fear.

He tried to escape the flames, but another part of the building exploded, the flames engulfing him.

The life faded from him the the blinding flames roasted his skin. This was the end, he was to die a fiery death. Payment for all of his sins. Death.

As his vision was consumed by the red-hot flames, he heard Skye's fading cry.

"Grant! No! GRANT!"

Blackness overcame his vision as he greeted death personally. And that was to be taken quite literally.

Ward's vision came back to him as fast as it went. But he was in an empty space. There was a man kneeling beside him, a white mask covering his face and a long, black cloak covering his body. And it could've been just a trick of the light, but Ward could've sworn that long, black wings protruded from the stranger's back.

"W-Who are you?!" he stammered, jolting up and crawling backwards.

The stranger laughed, "Not a concern now, son." he said, his voice deep and raspy.

"Where am I?"

"Between Heaven and Hell." the stranger replied. "You're dead."  
Those two words took Ward by surprise, "I'm…. Dead?"  
The stranger nodded, his wings rustling behind him, "Killed by an explosion. No injuries. Instant death. Half of your face is horribly burned though, don't think your left eye will ever work again."

"Why am I here?! Who are you?!"  
"You can call me Grim."

"Grim? As in the Grim Reaper?!"

"That would be me." Grim replied.

"W-What do you want from me? I thought that I was dead?" Ward asked.

"You are, but I believe you could be the next one. You have the qualifications."

"The next what?" Ward asked.

"The next Death."

* * *

(Now)

Ward blinked into a new location, seeing that he was standing in a hospital room. It wasn't until he saw the all-too-familiar man walk into the room and collapse by the bed, that he realized who he was here for. He looked to the ghostly figure lying unconscious in the bed. He froze. Skye.

Ward's heart tore in half as the heart monitor started beeping rapidly, registering no heartbeat. Skye was dying. He sensed it. A gunshot wound to the side, actually two of them. Hydra must've gotten to her. He clenched his fists, if only he had been there to take the bullets for her.

Coulson looked up, tears in his eyes, "Skye? Please… Don't leave…"

Ward stood completely still as med agents rushed into the room and tried to bring the young agent back.  
"What the hell is this?!"

Ward looked to right beside the bed, seeing a ghostly image of Skye, staring at complete terror and him and the scene. Her soul. It was her time.

"W-Who are you?!" she stammered.

Ward forgot that he was wearing a mask to keep his reaper image. And that his black wings were spread out behind him.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Skye asked, backing up. "I died from the gunshots. You're some kind of angel, aren't you?"

Ward remained silent and only nodded slightly, remorse filling his gut. There was no way that he could lead Skye to her final resting place. He couldn't let her die, but this was his job. He had to.

"You're here for me."

Ward backed up, his wings pressing up against the wall, "No, I can't." he muttered. "I can't."

His voice, despite being low and raspy, struck chord with her, "Just who are you?" she asked, sensing something familiar.

"Death. And I can't do this." he said. "I can't let you die." He shifted his wings, "I can't. I'm sorry. You can't die now." And with that, with the rustle of feathers, he disappeared.

"What?" Skye asked herself.

The heart monitor started to return to normal and she felt herself being called back to her body. She had survived her brush with death. Death himself.

But she was supposed to die, but Death himself couldn't bring himself together to take her. Something seemed off, familiar, about the angel that called himself Death. But why?  
And what consequences would her survival entail? She was supposed to die, but was allowed to lie. Something was up with Death.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I don't own AoS, Marvel does New story! And I promise more will be explained in chapters to come. I made Grim an angel of death in this for the sake of the story. Skye was 'killed' by a Hydra attack but allowed to live by Death, by Ward. What will happen now? Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	2. Chapter 2 (Eternal Banishment)

**Chapter Two (Eternal Banishment)**

"Do you know how much of a fool you are?! You broke one of the biggest rules of the Reapers! Do you job no matter what! Do you have any clue to what your foolishness will entail?!" Grim roared, staring down at Ward. "Do you?!"

Ward shook his head nervously.

"Chaos! The natural order will be disrupted because someone who was supposed to die was allowed to live! You failed one of the major rules! All because of damned humanly love! Something that should've left you when you died. You're not human anymore, Death. You don't experience the same feelings humans do. I should've know better than to let you at that job.

I know you were one of the only free Reapers at the time, but once I saw who it was and that I knew you had a connection to her. I started to question my decision. I was foolish to even let you go. Now everything is disrupted!"

"Sir, I can,"

"No, don't even start that crap! You cannot possibly explain any further to what you have done!" he growled. "You know what, you're out of here. You can no longer call yourself Death, you're not entitled to that name anymore. You're stripped of that title now, Mr. Ward."

Ward's face fell, "W-What?"

"You will no longer have connection to Heaven, Hell, nor the Netherrealm! You can keep your angelic grace, but it'll be in half! Get the hell out of here you cursed Nephilim!"

Ward winced, "But, I… I can make up for it, I promise!" he exclaimed. "I promise!"

"And you'll only make an even bigger fool of yourself." Grim hissed. "I will not allow it, you're done here. Take your scythe and leave! I hereby banish you to roam the Earth for the rest of your cursed life, all for your damn foolishness. I would wish you luck for whatever damned hell-beasts try to kill you, but I'm not that caring to do so."

Ward tried to protest, but the ground came rushing up to meet him.

And then we was falling through the clouds, plummeting to the Earth far below him to pay for his Earthly love. He was paying everything just because he couldn't bear to let someone long lost go.

He was falling.

* * *

Ward awoke sometime later in a small crater surrounded by trees, his wings spread out all around him in a broken heap. The word hit him like a freight train. Fallen. A fallen angel of death. He felt it, half of his angelic grace was gone. Humanity was there, half-human. Nephilim.

He was a half-human with wings, a monster.

He was somehow allowed to keep his wings and his scythe, but he was cut off from the other realms. Ward was left to survive all on his own.

All this because he couldn't bear to let Skye go.

Shaking out the dust from his aching wings, he stood from his crumpled heap in the crater. He knew that his fall had to alert the locals, seeing buildings in the distance. Ward stated away from the crater, tucking in his wings around his body.

He wasn't totally human, he couldn't go around normal humanity with his wings out. There had to be some way to hide them from plain sight.

Survival was his number one priority. But in a world where anything unearthly was considered a threat, how would ordinary humans react to a winged Nephilim? Probably not very well.

Ward still had the ability to hide his scythe in a rip in the fabric of space itself and could still call it from there. And he had his wings. He had to hide his wings, but how?

Ward hid behind a tree and quickly took his black shirt off, his wings going through the slits on the back of the fabric. Angels never had to hide their wings, but angels of death sometimes had to. Their clothes were made with slits for their wings so they could slip their wings underneath the material, but Ward could never get used to it. He had to take off his shirt to hide his wings.

He adjusted his wings, folding them against his bare skin as tight as he could. He slipped his shirt back on. The thickness of his massive wings made it look as though he was slightly more muscular. This would work for now.

Ward looked to the buildings in the distance, he needed to go, now.

* * *

(Elsewhere)

"There has been a reported sighting of an alien." Coulson reported, looking at the team.

"Like what kind of alien?" Skye asked, shifting in her chair. It had been three days since her brush with death and she had been released just yesterday. Believe it or not, she was perfectly fine.

"People said that something fell from the sky, creating a crater in a big shock wave when it landed. Apparently, it go up and walked away soon after. Supposively it had massive wings." Coulson continued.

Skye thought to the being of Death that wouldn't take her to the other side just a few days ago.

"So it's a bird?" Hunter asked.

"Birds don't create craters, dumbass." Bobbi sighed

"Then it's a really big bird."

"Sesame Street?" Fitz asked, joking.

"We'll have Elmo too." Mack added in.

Simmons rolled her eyes.

"It has nothing to do with puppets." May stated. "We're taking this matter very seriously in these times."

"Are you sure the citizens weren't on drugs?" Hunter asked. "Because what kind of alien has massive wings?"  
"We don't know." Coulson said. "That's why we're investigating. And we're all going. But Skye, Fitzsimmons, and Mack will all stay on the Bus while May, Bobbi, Hunter, and I will investigate the town and the surrounding areas."

"Coulson, I don't want to stay on the Bus." Skye complained.

"You are. You just got out of the infirmary yesterday, you're not going into the field. You better be glad that you're still coming along, even if it is in the Bus." Coulson responded. "I need all hands on deck with this in case we do come in contact with an alien."

"Aye aye Captain Dad." Skye said sarcastically.

Coulson sighed, rubbing his temples. "And don't give me any of that. Let's just focus on finding the supposed alien here."

Skye rolled her eyes as the rest of the team laughed quietly, "Alright, fine."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Sorry for the short chapter, but I've got stuff to do. So Ward's been stripped of his Reaper title and banished to Earth all because he couldn't let Skye go. And the team is alerted to an 'alien sighting', could this be Ward? Keep reading and PLEASE review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	3. Chapter 3 (Left for Dead)

**Chapter Three (Left for Dead)**

Ward decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to head into the town, figuring that no one actually saw what fell and no one would point him out. And he wasn't going to stick out like a sore thumb either. He wore pretty normal clothes, that being a black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and black boots, he wasn't injured-looking, and his wings were hidden.

He figured he would be perfectly fine in the town.

But he had no money for anything. He couldn't get to anywhere or do anything with no money Figuring that he was now half-human, hunger and exhaustion would soon take hold. As an angel of death, he never had to sleep or eat, it wasn't necessary. But Ward figured his human side would make up for that soon.

Walking into the small town, he saw numerous people clamoring about, looking all sorts of confused. He took in what they were saying.

"_Did you see that?"_

"_Hell, I felt it. Whatever it was had to be big to create a quake like that."_

"_I was close enough to see it, I swear it had wings!"_

"_Wings? Are you on drugs? What's that big and has wings?"_

"_Aliens!"_

"_Give me a break!"_

Ward laughed slightly at the townspeople's arguing over what had fallen straight out of the sky. But they would never know. He looked around, trying to find a way to find somewhere to stay, at least for the night.

As we walked through the square, he saw a man's wallet lying abandoned on one of the wrought iron tables. The guy must of left it in a panic when he fell and created the tremor. Ward didn't think twice of picking it up, he probably needed more than the guy that had left it anyways.

As he walked off deeper into the town, Ward looked through the wallet. There was a couple hundred bucks in cash in it, nothing else. No credit cards or a licence.

'_What kind of person just has cash in their wallet and nothing else?_" Ward thought to himself, pocketing the cash and throwing the wallet aside.

People all around him were still talking about what had fallen. One sentence caught him by surprise.

"_I heard SHIELD was called to investigate or something."_

Ward stopped and frowned. SHIELD? How was SHIELD called to investigate? Then he remembered. In the three years he had been dead, Coulson had managed to bring SHIELD back up to a small, known organization. They didn't deal with big threats anymore, mostly smaller ones since Hydra was still pretty much at large.

Ward hadn't really been paying attention to them in the time that he was dead.

He figured that if he found a small inn or motel to stay at for the night and laid low until the next day, he could avoid SHIELD. He didn't know who was being sent, but he was scared that it would end up being the team somehow. And he didn't want to reunite with them today, not yet.

After a while of aimlessly walking around, Ward found a small inn. He checked in for the night using the cash that he had stolen from the abandoned wallet. He made his way to his small room and sat on the bed.

It hit him. He had nothing whatsoever with him. No clothes, nothing. Just what he had on his back. That's what you get when you're a newly fallen angel. Nothing.

He went into the bathroom, shut and locked the door behind him, and slipped off his shirt. Flexing out his dust-covered wings, Ward grabbed the hand towel on the counter. He wet it in the sink and started washing the dirt and grime off of his massive wings.

If going from place to place for the rest of his life was what he would be doing, Ward was never going to get used to it.

* * *

(Two Hours Later)

The Bus touched down outside the small South Carolina town. Coulson strapped a gun to his side as he looked towards the team.

"Remember the plan since I changed it." he said. "Skye will now go with Hunter and Bobbi into the town to ask witnesses about what they saw. I wouldn't normally let Skye back out into the field like this, but this is a no-fighting mission. She'll be fine. Meanwhile, Fitzsimmons and Mack will accompany May and I to the crash site to survey it. Understand?"

They all nodded.

"Good. Now let's not let anything go wrong this time." Coulson said. "Not like the time Fitz got his tie stuck in the revolving door at that one mission and Hunter had to cut him out."

"Don't remind me." Fitz grumbled.

"I'll never forget it." Hunter said.

"Shut it."  
"Let's just get this over with so we can get home."

Skye, Bobbi, and Hunter went out of the Bus first and went into the town to talk to people.

Coulson led the remaining four agents to the crash site where police had surrounded it. He held up a badge as they approached, "Phil Coulson, with SHIELD." he said.

One of the policemen laughed, examining the badge "Never thought that SHIELD would be doing this type of stuff again. And the Director at that as well." he said. "Thought they were gone for good after that Hydra group or whatever came up." His voice was laced with a thick southern accent.

"It's been a really busy three years, and I still try to be involved with a lot of missions." Coulson said. "But we've managed to come up some. What happened here?" he asked.

The policeman pointed towards the crater, "Well, Director, we really don't know it ourselves. Somethin' fell straight out of the sky and crashed into the ground. Created one hell of a tremor. Eyewitnesses say that whatever fell had wings. Apparently it got up and walked away, but no one could tell what it was though. They say it was humanoid, but then again it had wings. We really don't know."

"Mind if we take a look?" May asked.

"Sure, maybe you guys can figure out what the hell is going on here."

The policeman lifted up the crime scene tape to let the five agents into the area.

"Damn." Mack whistled, looking at the crater. "Whatever it was did do some damage."

"And we'll find out." Simmons said. "Right, Fitz?"

"Yeah, if I can get the DWARVES working again." Fitz replied.

"Get on with it." Coulson said. "We need to get this done."

* * *

(About an Hour Later)

Ward laid on the inn bed, staring at the dull, gray ceiling. Everything was quiet, and it almost seemed too quiet. He didn't like it. Something told him that something really bad was about to happen. And like always, his senses were right.

The sound of gunshots followed by screaming echoed right outside of the building. Ward jolted up, his instincts kicking in. Gunfire, in a town like this? It didn't make sense.

Without thinking, Ward barreled out of the room, down the hallway, and out into the square. There he saw the guy, tall, muscular, and wielding a gun.

People were running for their lives, several on the ground presumingly dead, blood splattered on the cold concrete.

Ward froze as the man turned to look at him. The man smiled as he looked at Ward, pointing his gun towards him. His stomach fell, the man's eyes were completely back. This wasn't a man shooting up the town, this was a demon-possessed man. A demon had found Ward already, after the power of a fallen angel of death.

He dropped to the ground with lightning-fast speed as bullets came his way. The demon came running towards him, still holding the gun. Ward stayed crouched on the ground, jumping up and tackling the being to the ground as he came closer.

"I know what you are, Nephil." he hissed, right in Ward's face. "A fallen angel of death. And soon you'll belong to hell."

"Why would I want to go there?" Ward asked, punching the demon.

"Enough with the smart talk." the demon hissed, throwing Ward off of him.

Ward blinked as he stood, realizing that he couldn't take down the demon by himself. He summoned his scythe, not caring who saw him. It was better for him to be seen than for more innocents to die.

The demon froze as he slowly rose, "How the hell do you still have that?" he hissed.

"I don't know. And I don't care." Ward said, gripping the cold, unearthly steel of the blade. "As long at it kills you."

Ward ran forward, towards the demon. The sound of a bullet being fired rang out, and lightning-hot pain seared in his left shoulder and his left wing. He had been shot, the bullet going straight through his shoulder and wing. But he didn't care.

He swung the cold scythe towards the demon, passing harmlessly through his body. But the demon froze up, arching up as bright, orange lights flickered in his eyes and opened mouth. A black, smoke-like mass fled the body and disappeared into the air.

Ward sent his scythe away and the pain of the gunshot started to fully affect him. His entire left side was searing hot and extremely heavy. As people still screamed all around him, Ward stumbled towards a narrow, shallow alleyway between two buildings.

He fell up against a wall as the pain made him collapse. Shadows met his vision as blood ran down the cold, brick wall.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. I know I'm throwing this story into crazy action really quick, but I like to keep things moving. The team's in town. A demon attacks Ward. Ward is left shot and bleeding. What will happen next? (And if you're wondering about SHIELD here, this is about five years after Coulson started rebuilding SHIELD. Two years were spent fighting Hydra and the other three were spent rebuilding it. It's now a small, known organization that deals with smaller threats, but it's still being built up.) Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	4. Chapter 4 (The Dark Below)

**Chapter Four (The Dark Below)**

Skye froze as gunfire echoed from somewhere within the town. She turned to look at Bobbi and Hunter who are frozen in fear as well. "What was that?" she asked.

"Sounded like a gun." Hunter said. "But in a town like this? Something's going on."

The three were on the edge of town talking to witnesses of the crashed object. They glanced at each other before running into town, Bobbi and Hunter withdrawing their guns.

"Skye, stay back." Bobbi said as they ran. "You don't need to be fighting now. And don't even think of trying a quake or anything, don't need to get this town more stirred up than it is."

Skye was going to protest, but she kept her mouth shut. She decided that Bobbi was right.

The three reached the town square a few minutes later, seeing a somewhat gruesome scene. People were still running, some laid dead on the ground, others were injured.

"We got here too late." Hunter said as they stopped near the main area of carnage.

"What on Earth happened here? Someone shot up the square?" Bobbi asked in terror.

A woman came up to them, seeing their field gear, "You're with SHIELD, right?" she asked. "I heard they were in the area."

Hunter nodded, "We are. What the hell happened here?"

The woman was clearly panic-stricken. Her long, brown hair was a mess and her jacket was extremely wrinkled. "I-I can't explain it." she stammered. She pointed at an unconscious, muscular man lying on the concrete a few feet away from them. "That man there suddenly ran into the square with a gun yelling something about an angel or something. He started firing sporadically, that's when I hid under one of the tables.

Not too much later, another man came running out of nowhere and confronted the gunman. I think the gunman knew the man or something."

"What did the man look like?" Bobbi asked.

"I'd say he was about six feet, black hair, black clothing. Oh, and a massive scar covered the left side of his face." the woman replied. "He attacked the gunman and sent him to the ground. There was some fighting and then the man, out of nowhere, is suddenly holding a massive blade. A scythe, if you will."  
"A scythe?" Hunter repeated.

The woman nodded, "That's what it looked like. Then the man swung it clean through the gunman, but it didn't do anything to the gunman. Then the gunman suddenly froze up, dropping the gun. A bright, orange light flickered from his eyes and mouth and black smoked came pouring out and disappeared into the air. Then the gunman dropped unconscious. I don't know if he's dead or not. I didn't see where the other man went." she explained.

Bobbi looked to Skye and Hunter, "Skye, see if you can get a body count. Lance, contact Coulson and tell him we have a situation here. Whatever happened here sounds like it could have something to do with whatever crashed."  
They both nodded.

Skye walked around the square, checking the fallen bodies to see whether they were alive or not. "Bobbi." she called out.

"Yeah?"

"We've got five people dead. Two unconscious." Skye said. She looked around, "And about eight people injured."

"I'm telling Coulson right now." Hunter called out, on comms with Coulson, who was extremely panicked.

Skye continued walking around the panic-stricken square of the small, southern town. She glanced down a small alleyway. She froze, seeing a man, seemingly unconscious, sat up against the brick wall of a building.

She walked down the alleyway and crouched by the unconscious man. He was breathing, so he was alive. But blood stained the brick wall behind him, coming from his back. There was a hole in his shirt over his left shoulder. A clean shot. A bullet must've passed right through him.

She looked at the man's face, half of it pressed against the wall to the point where she couldn't see it. The side that faced her was disfigured in a massive scar, even enveloping his eye. His black hair stuck up in various angles, his pale, white face beaded with sweat.

The woman's description of the man with the scythe came back to her, "_I'd say he was about six feet, black hair, black clothing. Oh, and a massive scar covered the left side of his face." _This man had all those features, minus a scythe.

Skye looked back down the alleyway towards the square, "Bobbi! Hunter!" she called out. "I found someone!"

Bobbi and Hunter came running towards her.

"What? Who is it?" Hunter asked as they stopped near the fallen man.

"I think it's the guy that dealt with the gunman." Skye said. "He matches the woman's description. But he was shot, I think. Clear through the shoulder. He's bleeding."

Hunter crouched down beside the man, "Hey." he said quietly, gently shaking the man. "Are you alright?"

No response.

Hunter took the man's head and turned it to see his full face. They couldn't recognize the man by the scarred, disfigured side, but the side that was unscathed was all too familiar. They all froze.

Skye's face turned as white as a sheet, "Grant?" she asked quietly.

They couldn't believe it, the man in front of them was in fact Ward, despite the disfigure of his face.

"Wait, he's dead." Hunter said, voice trembling. "He was killed three years ago in that Hydra base explosion."

"But we never found his body…" Bobbi said, trailing off.

"No, it can't be him. How would it be him?" Skye asked, full of disbelief. "How is he here? How is he not dead. I watched as the flames consumed him."

"That explains the massive scar on his face." Hunter said. "The explosion must've burned that half beyond repair, wouldn't doubt that his eye no longer works."  
They froze as Ward suddenly shifted as his right eye fluttered open slightly. Confusion filled the injured man's face, "Skye?" he croaked out. "Morse? Hunter?"

"Grant?" Skye breathed.

A slight smile filled his face, "Skye." he croaked out again. His eye closed and he fell unconscious again.

Skye started shaking Ward, "Grant, wake up!" she yelled.

Hunter put a hand on Skye, "Skye, don't do that. You don't want to disturb whatever's got him bleeding like that. Coulson's on his way. We'll get Ward some help."

"Skye! Hunter! Bobbi!"

Coulson's cry cut through the stark silence. Fitzsimmons and Mack could also be heard.

"We're over here!" Hunter yelled. "In the alleyway!"

Skye looked back to Ward's pale, scarred face, "What happened to you, Grant?" she silently asked. "Don't die again."

Coulson, May, Fitzsimmons, and Mack came into the alleyway.

"What on Earth happened out there?" Fitz asked.

"How many are dead?" Simmons asked.

The five agents froze as they saw who laid unconscious against the wall. Despite the disfiguring burn scar on the left side of his face, they knew exactly who the man was.

Coulson spoke for everyone, "_Ward?"_

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So the team finds the injured Ward, confused out of their minds to how he's alive three years after his supposed death. Will they find out his 'little' secret? And how will they take it? Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	5. Chapter 5 (Fallen From Grace)

**Chapter Five (Fallen From Grace)**

"Ward?" Coulson repeated, his face as white as a sheet. "How can this be?"

"He died three years ago." May said. "There's no way that that's him."

"Look at him, May!" Skye exclaimed. "Believe it or not, it's him. I don't know how he survived that explosion, but he's dying now! We've got to get him to help!"

"This could be a trick." Fitz said. "Some sort of shape shifting alien posing as him."

"No, that can't be." Hunter said, shaking his head. "He woke up slightly and recognized us before passing out again. Even smiled at Skye."

"But what about the mess out there?" Mack asked. "We can't leave after people have been slaughtered after something crash landed here."

Coulson looked back towards the frantic square then back to Ward's fallen body, "We'll get him back to the Bus." he said. "Simmons, see if you can stop the bleeding while I talk to the authorities here as fast as I can. Then well make it back to the base."

"How are we going to get him there, sir?" Simmons asked, still clearly shaken by the sight of Ward.

"We'll carry him." Coulson said. "Mack, Fitz, Hunter, help me get to the Bus. Skye, Simmons, lead the way. May, Bobbi, make sure everyone's okay out in the square then get back to the Bus."

They all nodded. The four men of the team each stood by one side of Ward and ever so carefully picked him up as May and Bobbi went out into the square.

Fitz groaned, "How is he so heavy?" he asked.

"I don't know, but let's get him back to the Bus." Coulson said, noticing blood dripping heavily from the man's back. "I don't think that he has much longer."

The men tried their best to move as quickly as they could despite Ward's weight. But seriously, how was the man so heavy? He didn't look that heavy despite being tall and muscular.

They didn't even know what hid underneath the injured man's shirt.

They made their way through the square, followed by Skye and Simmons. They knew that the Bus was just outside the town in a clearing, about a ten minute walk from where they were. Hopefully he would make it ten minutes.

Trying their best to go as fast as they could, they made it back to the Bus in about fifteen minutes. And Ward's breathing was growing more shallow.

"Skye, the door!" Coulson exclaimed.

Skye quickly nodded and ran over to the exterior control of the hangar door, activating it. The team didn't waste no time. As soon as the door opened, they were inside.

"Get him into the lab!" Simmons yelled.

They rushed Ward into the lab, placing him carefully on the lab table. And Simmons didn't waste no time getting things out.

"I'm going to find Bobbi and May." Coulson said, ignoring the blood on his hands and suit.

"You've got blood all over you." Hunter said.

"So do you." Simmons responded, brandishing a pair of scissors to cut Ward's shirt off with. "And Fitz." She started cutting the base of Ward's shirt.

Hunter looked down, seeing blood on him, "Son of a,"  
"Never mind that." Coulson said. "See if you guys can get the bleeding to stop. I'm going back into the town."

He turned around and started his way out, but a series of collective gasps made him stop.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Hunter asked.

"Alien!" Fitz exclaimed.

Coulson turned around, seeing the team fixated in awe and in terror at Ward. He couldn't see why though, Fitz and Mack were in the way. He started his way back in the lab, "What's going…. On…." He froze as the two engineers moved out of the way. He could see everyone's surprise.

Laid out on the table and hanging over the edge were massive, black wings that seemed to protrude from Ward's back.

"Again, what the bloody hell is that?" Hunter repeated.

"Wings?" Mack guessed.

"I see that you genius." Hunter retorted. "But what the hell?"

Coulson came closer slowly, both afraid and interested, "I don't know." he muttered. "I don't know."

Skye blinked, realizing what was going on, "He's what fell." she said. "They described the being as 'tall and winged'. That's what I see here. But, but what happened to him?"

"This is most interesting." Simmons said. "But he's bleeding." She looked closer at his left wing. "And so is his, wing…"

Coulson gulped, "Can you get him patched up?" he asked.

"I can try, but I don't know about his wing. Hell, he's not human, not anymore. I can tell that just by looking at him." Simmons said. "I know nothing about biology that isn't human."  
"You're not testing him like you did me." Skye stated harshly.

"I'll try to get him patched up, but I don't know how well though."

"And we're bringing him back to the base?" Fitz asked. "Something's happened to him. He's not human!"

"And we'll figure out what happened to him." Coulson stated. "But we don't need to let him die. I understand that you're still edgy around him, but that's not an excuse to let him die. Winged or not, we're getting him back to the base. We'll figure out what happened to him later. I'll go find Bobbi and May and get them back here. I'm sure the local authorities can handle it from here. Just get Ward patched up."

He walked out of the lab and out of the Bus.

Simmons looked back to the winged Ward, "What on Earth could've possibly happened to him that made him like this?" she asked.

"Hydra?" Mack suggested.

"You're saying that the bloody bad guys got him and turned him into that?" Hunter asked, frowning. "I mean that does sound like something Hydra would do, but still."

"And he escaped and hid out for three years?" Fitz added in.

Skye gulped, "I, I don't really want to know know." she said. "I don't. Let's just, let's just see if he lives first."

* * *

(A Day Later, SHIELD Headquarters.)

Ward jolted up, shielding his eyes against blinding, white light. He surveyed his surroundings, seeing that his was in an infirmary room of some sort, the door closed. He looked down, seeing a massive bandage over his left shoulder, his wings tucked in beside his shirtless torso. There was some sort of a bandage on his left wing as well.

Fifty different alarms went off in his head. Where was he? He didn't recognize where he was. And wherever he was, people there had seen his wings. He was praying that it wasn't Hydra.

He jumped from the bed, tearing the IV from his hand.

"_If I don't run now, the demons will get me and drag me to hell." _he thought.

Ward burst out the room and ran down the hallway, ignoring the medical personnel that dove out of his way, clearly mesmerized by the wings trailing behind him.

The cold, tile floor seemed burn his bare feet, but he kept running. He had to get out from wherever the hell he was. He kept turning corners, until a massive eagle insignia on the wall down the hall stopped him.

SHIELD.

He couldn't believe it, he was in a SHIELD base. But how? Then it hit him. Skye. Morse. Hunter. He had saw them before he passed out. The team found him. And they had seen what he really was. He really had to run, now.

He started to turn around, but an all-too-familiar voice stopped him.

"Ward, we're not going to hurt you."

Coulson.

Ward looked to see Coulson coming towards him. "C-Coulson." he stammered, bringing his wings close to his body. "Y-You're not going to hurt me, are you?" he asked.

Coulson frowned, shaking his head, "No, why would I do that? We lost you three years ago and now have just found you. We're not going to hurt you, even if you do have, um, wings."

Ward gulped, "If you're not, the demons will."

"What?"

"The demons will."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So, Ward seems to be okay but is saying that demons will get him. (Sorry for not showing any hospital scenes, I'm trying to move this story along and remember, Ward's half-angel, he heals fast.) What exactly is he talking about? Is he referring to more demons like the gunman one? I don't know. (Oh, and if you're looking for an update for my other story 'Echoes of the Past', I've got writer's block with it. I'll try to update soon.) Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	6. Chapter 6 (What Lies Below)

**Chapter Six (What Lies Below)**

Coulson's face fell, "What? Demons? You're joking, Ward." he said, slowly approaching the frantic man. "Nothing's going to hurt you here. This is a secure facility. Nothing's getting in or out. And there's no such thing as demons."

Ward cracked a small, sad smile, "You say that, yet you don't realize what's standing right in front of you." he said coldly.

Confusion filled Coulson's face, "Wait, what?" he asked. He watched as Ward shifted his wings once again in anxiety. Things started to come together in his head, but not quite in the right way. "You're a demon." That's all Coulson could muster up.

Ward let out a laugh, "Demon? Hell no? Why would I be one of those damned things if they're after me. Coulson, what's the opposite of a demon? Tell me. Do you even know?" he asked.

Coulson took another look at Ward again, "Angel." he muttered. "That's the only thing."

"You're half right." Ward continued, seeing curious SHIELD agents start to fill the hallway. "Half-angel, half-human."

"How did this happen?" Coulson asked.

"It's one hell of a story and I honestly think that you wouldn't believe one bit of it." Ward replied, giving uneasy glances towards the SHIELD agents. "And can you get them out of here?" he asked. "I don't like them watching."

Coulson looked towards the agents and then back to Ward, "Let's get back to your room." he said. "Where it's private, no one will bother us there."

Ward shuffled nervously, "Fine." he said. "But I don't want anyone else coming in. No Simmons. No May. Not even Skye at this point."

Coulson nodded and led the winged man back down the hallway to his infirmary room. They went inside and Coulson shut and locked the door behind them.

"There, no one will bother us. Now, tell me what exactly happened to you." he said calmly.

Ward took a breath, "I did die three years ago." he said. He pointed to the disfiguring burn scar on the left side of his face, "And that's all that's of the blast. Can't see out of that eye. Blinded on one side. But my senses are several times better than an average human, it really doesn't matter if half of my sight is gone.

Again, I did die. But I wasn't sent to hell like you'd think I would be. Believe it or not, the Grim Reaper himself 'intercepted' my death and made me into an angel of death. Actually Death himself. There was the angel of light and then me, the angel of death."

Coulson frowned, "Death? Skye said something about a being named Death refusing to take her to her death. Are you,"

"I'm getting to that." Ward cut in. "Then I made a mistake on what should've been a simple task. Coulson, Reapers have a set of rules to follow and one of the main ones is to do your job no matter what. If you don't take someone to their destined death, it messes up the natural order."

Ward gulped, "I was the one assigned to Skye's death." he finally said. "Don't tell Skye this, I imagine she's already forgotten about it like with all close calls. I was the being she saw. I was the one that refused to take her, I couldn't handle it. And I was thrown out of Heaven for it. For my humanly love.

Half of my grace was stripped, leaving me as this winged freak. Only left with myself, wings, and a scythe."

"You're what fell." Coulson said.

Ward nodded, "And I was who took the gunman down, the demon-possesed gunman. He was after me."

"Why would he be after you?"

"Coulson, an angel of death is extremely powerful, even in Nephilim form. The forces of hell will do whatever it takes to get me so they can use me. I can't stay here because that will risk you all." Ward responded.

Coulson didn't know what to say. "But, but you were shot."

Ward ripped the bandages off of his shoulder, revealing unscathed skin underneath, "Shot where?" he asked. "It's already healed. I may be half-human, but that doesn't stop my healing factor."

Coulson's face paled, "What?"

"Now let me get out of here before Skye gets in here. The one thing I want most maybe to see her, but now isn't the time. I can't be delayed any longer. I don't want you guys getting killed because of me. Innocent civilians have already died because of me. I don't want more blood."

Coulson gulped, "Fine. But you can't go out like that." he said. "You have no clothes on, barely."

"'Cause I had no clothes."

"You, you have a room here." Coulson said. "We moved your stuff here when we switched bases. We couldn't bare thinking of getting rid of any of it, mostly Skye. We kept everything from your books to your clothes."

"Sentimental much?"

"It's all thanks to Skye."

"And how the hell am I supposed to get anything when I don't want anyone seeing me?" Ward asked.

"I'll get it." Coulson responded.

"And what about Simmons coming in here?"

"I'll tell her that I checked on you. She wouldn't be coming in here for a while."  
Ward nodded, "Thank you."

* * *

(A Little Bit Later)

Coulson came back with a duffel bag for Ward, "I grabbed whatever I could." he said, tossing Ward the bag. "And don't worry, Skye or anyone isn't around. You'll be able to get out quickly."

"Thanks. Coulson, I know this is sudden with me leaving just after I came back after three years of being dead. I just don't want you guys getting hurt in any crossfire." Ward responded, opening the bag.

Coulson nodded, "I, I understand. I'll leave you for a moment." He stepped out into the hallway.

Ward dug out clothes and started to change. Once he got to his shirt, he faced a challenge. How was he going to get his wings into the shirt? He looked around the room and found a small pair of scissor nearby. He cut two, massive gashes into the material, big enough for the expanse of his wings.

He slid his shirt on, maneuvering his wings to fit through the slits. Then he found his beloved leather jacket. He couldn't possibly cut that up, but it was for the sake of what he was. He held his breath, and cut slits into the material as well.

It was harder to put on than the shirt, but he managed. He shifted his wings and brought them against his body, moving through the slits of his clothing and folded against his bare skin.

He shifted his shoulders, getting comfortable, and grabbed the bag up after zipping it closed. He went out into the hallway, where he met Coulson. "I'm good."  
"Figured you would choose that to wear." Coulson raised an eyebrow, "Where's your.."

"Cut slits in the shirt and jacket so I can keep them hidden underneath them, but I can stretch them out when I need to." Ward said quickly. "Now, please, show me the way out of here before anything bad happens."

Coulson nodded and started to lead Ward down the hallway in silence. No one said a word for a few minutes, until an all-too-familiar voice stopped Ward dead in his tracks.

"Grant!"

Ward spun around and saw Skye running towards him at full speed He dropped his bag as Skye pretty much tackled him, throwing herself into his arms.

"You're alive!" she exclaimed. She looked up at him, scowling, "And what the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"I-I…." Ward stammered.

"Tell me. Why are you leaving before anyone can see you? You really think you can leave without saying to me and the team?!"

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So Ward decides to leave before any of the team knows that he is awake, but it doesn't quite work out. Skye finds him leaving with Coulson and demands an explanation. How will this turn out? Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	7. Chapter 7 (There's No Going Back)

**Chapter Seven (There's No Going Back)**

Ward looked at Skye, unsure of what to say to her. "I-I…" he stammered.

"Spit it out, Grant." Skye demanded. "Why are you leaving when you just got here?"

"One, I was brought here, I didn't come here." Ward said. "And two, I can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous? This is secure facility." Skye asked. "What could possibly get you in here?"

Ward looked to Coulson, "Can you give us a moment?" he asked.

Coulson nodded and walked off.

He grabbed Skye and pulled her close, "Skye, look, I'm not human. I have the forces of hell after me for my power, it's dangerous to be near me." he said, his voice hushed. "I can't stay here because you might get hurt. As much as I want to stay with you, it's impossible."

"Hell?" Skye asked. "What are you talking about?"

"To cover it all in a few words, I'm a fallen angel of death. Cast out of Heaven for a stupid decision. The Devil craves powers akin to what's inside of me. He'll stop at nothing to get me. He'll probably kill you and the team."

"Fallen? What did you do?" Skye asked, looking at the Nephilim.

Ward gulped, "That doesn't matter now." he said briskly. "I can't stay here. I've got to leave before anything happens to you."

"Grant, please we'll help you." Skye pleaded. "You can't leave, not now."

"Skye!"

Skye turned to see Hunter and Bobbi coming down the hallway.

"I can't risk losing you again, I'm sorry." Ward said quietly behind her back.

"What does that mean?" Skye asked, turning back around.

But there was no answer, there wasn't anyone there. Ward was gone, nowhere to be seen.

He had left without saying bye to anyone.

"Grant." Skye choked out.

"Skye, who were you talking to?" Hunter asked, finally coming up.

"Grant."

Bobbi's face fell, "Wait, Ward?" she asked. "He's awake?"

"And he's gone. He left. He couldn't stay. Didn't even say goodbye." Skye muttered.

"Why couldn't he stay?" Hunter asked, not believing it.

"Something about demons after him, we would only get hurt if he stayed. Said he was, he was a fallen angel." Skye tried to explain. "I didn't understand any of it."

"You're not making any sense either." Hunter said. "Where did he go?"

"I have no clue."

"So I'm figuring he left, didn't he?"

The three agents turned to see Coulson walking up, a grim expression on his face.

Skye nodded numbly, "Didn't even say bye."

"Son of a…" Coulson began, running a hand through his hair. "Didn't think that he would leave that quick."

Bobbi looked to the Director, "Can you explain what's going on here?" she asked. "Skye's mumbling about angels and demons, we're not understanding what she's saying."

"Ward's an angel, well a fallen half-angel anyways. He's what fell in that small town, and the guy that took out that gunman, a demon-possessed gunman. Apparently the forces of hell are after Ward for his remaining angelic grace or something Said he couldn't stay because the forces of hell would kill us trying to get to him." Coulson explained. "I knew he wouldn't be here long."

"What do we do now? Do we just let him go?" Hunter asked.

"I'll honor his decision, we'll leave him alone." Coulson said. "We can try to keep track of him if we can, just to make sure nothing happens to him."

Skye sniffed, looking at Coulson, "How are you going to do that?"

"Tracker on his bag. I know, it's wrong. But I figured something really bad was going on when he demanded that he wanted to leave immediately after waking up." Coulson said. "I'll deactivate it when I figure that he's ok. I'm afraid something really bad is going to happen to him."

"Like what?" Bobbi asked.

"I don't know,but it doesn't feel good." Coulson responded. "I feel that something dark, really dark, is going to happen very soon. And it's going to shake everything to its core."

* * *

(Elsewhere)

Ward didn't waste time leaving. As soon as he burst out of the SHIELD base, he unfurled his wings from underneath his shirt and jacket and rocketed up in the sky, his bag on his back.

The wind ruffled his hair as he sped through the quiet air, the SHIELD base growing smaller and smaller behind him. He had to get enough distance between him and the team to keep them safe from whatever was after him.

One demon had already confronted him, and there was no telling to how many more lay in waiting for him. He was deeply afraid for what would happen to him if the forces of hell caught up to him. He didn't even want to start imagining it.

He sped further and further away from the base, leaving the team far behind. He was starting to regret that he didn't even say goodbye, but he didn't want to risk anything.

Demons would slaughter them before getting to him, and they would make him watch as the team was torn apart. Ward swallowed a lump in his throat as he blazed through the sky. He was a target for the Devil himself. He was no longer safe.

A bone-shattering scream ripped through the air. Ward sensed something coming up behind him on his left side, despite he couldn't see it due to his limited sight. Something evil.

He stopped in midair, keeping aloft and spinning around. He almost froze, but held his ground, well air. A black-winged demon was speeding his way, red eyes gleaming despite the bright sun.

A demon had already found him. How? It must've had been watching him from the get-go. Only ten minutes out and he was already being threatened.

Ward held his breath and held out his hand, his scythe materializing in it. He gripped it with both hands, bracing himself for the oncoming demon. A blood-curdling shriek pierced the air as Ward swung the sharp blade of the scythe towards it.

The battle had begun.

* * *

(Elsewhere.)

"How is the search?"

"One soldier found him. I believe they're locked in, well, battle at this very moment."

"One won't be enough to stop that Nephil scum, he'll win. But hopefully we can tell something about his fighting style or something. I won't lose him."

"Sir, how do you plan on taking him on if he get away?"

"It's called outnumbering, Jyian. We wait until he thinks he's completely safe then we attack in droves. Don't give him a chance and then we can get him. He's an important specimen, Jyian."

"I understand that, sir, but what are you planning to do with him?"

"I'd like to see what I can do to a half angel of death of that magnitude. Remember that other angel of death we caught, Kilion, I believe?"  
"Yes?"

"I managed to turn him into a demon, a complete one. And a dangerous one at that. A powerful knight of hell. But I would like to see what I can do to a Nephil. Perhaps a half-demon, half-angel. That would be the strongest knight to date."

"But unstable, sir."

"Don't question it. It's an experiment. But imagine it. The angel known as Death, a half-angel, half-demon monster. It would literally be death."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Ward's gone, the beginnings of a battle with a demon, and a cryptic conversation at the end. What could this mean? Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! (Guys, please review if you can. I really appreciate what you've got to say, and I can't seem to get reviews anymore and I'm losing motivation.) ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	8. Chapter 8 (Run and Escape)

**Chapter Eight (Run and Escape, From Everything.)**

Ward finally took a breath just as the blade of his scythe sliced straight into the oncoming demon, dissolving it into heavy, black smoke. Easy, well one demon was easy to fight. He had no clue to how many more laid in waiting to come and get him. This demon was just the first of many more to come.

He gulped as he sent his scythe away, this wasn't good. The fact that hell was already after him so soon scared him. That meant that they would come full force after him, and they wouldn't stop until he was captured.

After checking that his bag was still on his back, Ward took off again. The air smelled of ozone and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, not good. He looked ahead of him and saw a massive storm cloud brewing. A storm was forming.

Ward stopped, something didn't seem right about the cloud though. It was blacker than any cloud he had ever seen. And the lightning that jutted out of it was purple, not yellow or white. He frowned, this wasn't an ordinary, Earth storm. It was a hellstorm, one created by demons to wreak havoc on the world.

And it also served as a portal from hell to Earth. It was allowing more demons into the world, more demons after him. Damn, they were persistent. They wouldn't stop until he was in chains in the deepest pit of hell.

Ward knew that the hellstorm was still brewing, and it wouldn't break for a while. He had to run, now. Before the clouds would unleash a swath of demons that would take him down in an instant. He didn't have much time to spare.

With one, massive movement, Ward bolted off into the darkening sky, far away from the clouds of the hellstorm.

He thought about the team he left behind as he sped through the clouds. He knew he should've at least had said something to them before leaving. But he said nothing. He even left Skye behind, without telling her bye or that he still loved her. And he was afraid that he would never get the chance to.

He feared for what would happen to him one he was caught and dragged to hell. He remembered a story of a reaper that had served underneath the previous Death. Ward believed that Kilion was his name or something. The angel was only doing a job, when demons caught him for no reason and drug him to hell.

Kilion wasn't fallen or anything, actually he was supposedly a very loyal angel. But the dark forces of hell warped the angel into something dark, a knight of hell. One of the strongest levels of demons, right under the Devil himself. Kilion had been stripped of his angelic grace and that in turn was replaced with demonic energy, mutating the angel into a demon. One that would turn to be one of the biggest enemies of the angels of death to date.

Ward feared that something of that nature would happen to him. But he was way different that Kilion. He was Nephilim, half-angel, half-human. He used to be Death himself. Ward was extremely powerful, even in a Nephilim state.

There was no telling to what possibly could be done to him. There was no telling to what kind of monster he could be turned into.

Ward feared he didn't have much longer until he lost his free will and became a slave to the darkness.

A massive clap of thunder shook the air violently, almost knocking Ward out of flight. The ear-splitting screech of dozens of demons split through the air. The hellstorm had split, demons had come to get him.

Without looking back, Ward increased his speed, moving farther and farther away from the oncoming storm of demons.

His only mission now? Run and escape, from everything.

* * *

(Back at the Base)

"He left?!" Fitz exclaimed. "How? He was just unconscious two hours ago!"

"Whatever makes up his nonhuman body allows him to heal extremely quick. The gunshot wounds were gone and his, um, wing was perfectly fine." Coulson explained.

"Why did he leave?" May asked.

Coulson took a breath, "He said demons were after him for his power and that his staying here would only get us hurt."

"Demons?" Mack asked.

Coulson then continued to tell them what Ward had told him, minus the part about Ward being the creature that had allowed Skye to live.

"He's an angel?" Simmons asked in disbelief. "I don't believe it."

"Half-angel actually. Something about being cast out of Heaven and stripped of half of his 'grace'. Said it left him as a 'half-human winged freak', well something like that." Coulson replied.

"Angels and demons, I can't believe it." Mack said. "Why would demons want the man anyways?"

"Like I said, something about his power." Coulson repeated.

"Said something about the Devil wanting him." Skye muttered.

"The Devil?" Hunter asked. "I knew that Ward had some crap going on, but the Devil? Seriously?"

Skye nodded, not saying anything else.

"Apparently the gunman in that town was demon-possessed and was after Ward." Bobbi said. "Ward is what fell. He's what created the crater."

May blinked, "Where is he now?" she asked. "Did he even say where he was going?"

Coulson shook his head, "Sadly, no." he said. "But the bag I gave him has a tracker on it. With what seems to be going on with him, I want to make sure that he'll be okay. We won't pursue him, only if the tracker indicates trouble or something of that nature."

"Like what?" Fitz asked.

"Well, if it's broken it either means that he found it and smashed it or something got to him." Coulson explained. "It's only a tracker and nothing else. It'll only track his location. That's it."

"So we're leaving him alone?" Simmons asked. "Even when something's after him?"

Coulson sighed, "By what he said, he wants to be alone. He doesn't want us getting hurt because of him. I promised him that we, that we wouldn't interfere with him. Only if I find it necessary."

"What did he say to that?" Mack asked. "You know that Ward's not one for help."

"He didn't want the help actually." Coulson responded, "But I can't just sit back while he's being torn apart by dark forces, I cannot allow it. Even if he doesn't want help, I don't want him getting killed while we're doing nothing about it. Not again."

"I have a feeling that something bad gonna happen to him." Skye muttered. "He'll either die or something. But it's gonna be bad."

"I feel it's going to be bad too." Coulson said. "Something dark is going to happen."

Fitz gulped, "Like what?" he asked, shuffling closer to Simmons.

"I don't know, but it's not going to be good." Coulson responded. "I feel like a dark shadow is going to fall over us."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Well it seems that crap's about to hit the fan, right? Not good. And that will be some dark crap. Just telling you now. (Can anyone tell me where 'Run and Escape' is from? I'll be happy if someone can tell me! It's one of my favorite songs.) Keep reading and PLEASE review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	9. Chapter 9 (Shadow and Soul Can't Hide)

**Chapter Nine (Shadow and Soul; Can't Hide)**

(About Two Days Later)

Ward let out a long breath as he sat down on the edge of the small, somewhat ratty motel bed. He had been running for two days from demons, and this had been the only day that he hadn't seen any. He knew that this was a bad sign of things to come, but he didn't care right now.

All that mattered at the moment was getting rest. His entire body ached, even his wings, from all of the running and fighting. The hellstorm from two days earlier seemed to follow him wherever he went. He knew that he couldn't stay long, for it would endanger the lives of the citizens in the small town that he was in.

His 'journey' had gotten him to Georgia, in a small town just near the border with South Carolina. There wasn't much time until the demons caught up to him, and he couldn't risk the ensuing battle that would most likely envelop the entire town. And too much casualties would result, something that didn't need to happen.

How did he even get in this position, getting pursued by demons who only wanted to use him? His fall, the fall from grace that tore his life in two. All because he couldn't handle letting Skye go. He had been dead for three years, gone out of Skye's life long enough.

Why couldn't he let go?

Reapers weren't supposed to have humanly feelings. No love, no sadness, nothing. Only the drive to do their job. Even with his death, Ward still clung to those feelings, and that cost him everything.

He couldn't bear to let go.

Thoughts of self-loathing started to swirl around in his head.

"_Weak! Weak! I'm just weak! I cling onto things that I can't ever possibly have! And it always costs me everything!"_

"_Learn to let go, Grant. You lost her and there was no getting her back! You were dead, not supposed to feel any love. How did that connection even still exist? You're just a pathetic excuse for a human and a reaper."_

Ward slammed his fist into the raggedy quilt, standing up. He went into the bathroom and washed his face. He looked at his, what he thought, pathetic reflection in the mirror

"_Love is weak." _he thought. "_Why did I let it control me? Look where the hell it got me. Cast out of Heaven and into the hands of hell."_

He swung his fist into the mirror, sending cracks lacing across it with a shatter and his knuckles opening up with the warmth of blood.

"_Everything I do is just a damn mistake. Why do I even do anything I do? First juvie, then Garrett, then SHIELD, then Hydra, then Skye, then Garrett again. Everything I do is a mistake, and look where it got me. I'm a half-blooded freak about to fall to the forces of hell, just because I couldn't learn to let go."_

He wiped the blood off of his hand. Ward blinked at his shattered reflection, "Why can't I just let go?"  
Suddenly, the sound of the room's door opening caught his attention. He turned to see a woman, about five-foot-six, long, red hair, and wearing black biker get-up. Ward frowned, walking out of the bathroom.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

The woman shook her head, "No, sorry. I've got the wrong-"

Suddenly her head jerked back, black smoke forming out of nowhere and entering her mouth and nose. Her head jerked back in Ward's direction, an evil smile on her face.

Ward froze, the woman's eyes were now solid black. Demon. A demon had just possessed her.

"You can help me now." she laughed, a hissing sound. "You can come with me, without putting up a fight."

Ward gulped, backing up, "Why the hell would I go with you?" he asked.

"Because I said so and someone really powerful is on my tail. I'll get killed if I don't bring you in." she said, coming further into the room.

Ward's scythe materialized in his hand and he gripped it, "I rather see you dead than follow you." he growled.

He ran forward, swinging his scythe towards the demon, but was blown back by some invisible source. His scythe clattered out of his hand and slid across the floor, out of his reach.

The demon walked over and placed a foot on Ward's chest, "You're coming with me and that's final. So no struggling." she said with a slight, devious smile.

Ward struggled to get up, but the force of the demon was stronger than he thought. He couldn't even get his wings out, they were pinned to the ground. He was trapped.

Ward heard a crackling sound around him and he craned his neck to see dark figures forming all around him and the demon.

"Backup, but it doesn't seem like I need it." the demon laughed. "I have captured a Nephil with ease. Ol' Lucifer's gonna be proud."  
The color drained from Ward's face, "L-Lucifer?!" he stammered.

The demon smiled, "That's right Deathy." she cooed. "He wants to see you, now."

Ward tried to fight back, but his vision suddenly went dark and he found himself falling. Again. Falling deeper into the black.

* * *

(Elsewhere)

A bright, red light illuminated Coulson's office from the screen behind him. Coulson turned, the message that filled the screen sending his heart to his stomach.

"_Warning: Connection Lost with Device."_

Coulson stood, knowing what had happened. Something had happened to Ward and the tracking device that was on his bag. He hoped that Ward had just found the tracker and had smashed it, but he knew that that wasn't the case.

Something had happened. And Coulson knew it had to be bad. He dashed out of the office and down the winding hallways of the headquarters and into the residential lab where the rest of the team was.

Skye looked at him as the man tried to catch his breath, "AC, what's wrong?" she asked, fear building in her eyes.

"The device… No connection…" Coulson huffed out.

"What device?" May asked. "Phil, what are you talking about."

Coulson caught his breath, "The tracking device. The one that was on Ward's bag. It's dead, the computers lost connection to it. Last documented location was in Georgia."

"What's happened?" Skye asked in panic.

"I don't know."  
"Maybe he just smashed it." Fitz said.

"Yeah, you know he doesn't like stuff like that." Simmons agreed.

"Coulson?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know." Coulson repeated. "But, but we need to go see what's going on."

"Coulson, we're in Virginia." Bobbi said. "You said Georgia. Ward could be long gone by the time that we get there. We might be too late."

"I don't care, we're going."

"All of us?" Mack asked.

"Yes, all of us." Coulson stated. "Get ready, we're leaving soon." He walked out of the room.

"Grant's… Gone?" Skye whimpered.

"We don't know that yet." Hunter said. "Let's go see what's going on. Hopefully he just smashed the damn thing and nothing's wrong."

Hunter didn't know just how wrong he was. Everything had gone wrong. Everything was going to come crashing down, brick by brick. It would be literal hell on Earth.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So, yeah, there you go. Ward starts to hate himself for everything and then in return ends up getting captured by demons. (Yes, the female demon is supposed to be based off of SPN's Abbadon.) Coulson gets the alert that the tracker's gone dead and orders the team to go see what's going on. They don't know what they're getting themselves into. Keep reading and PLEASE review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	10. Chapter 10 (I Gotta Make 'Em Fall)

**Chapter Ten (I've Gotta Make 'Em Fall)**

(Location Unknown)

Ward stumbled as his vision cleared to a black, empty expanse. He fell over as the female demon that had caught him shoved him to the ground. Dozens of black, faceless figures surrounded them. There was no escape.

But escape from where? There was nothing around for miles as far as he could see. No escape from nowhere?

"No escape, Nephil." the demon hissed, almost laughing. "You've got an appointment that can't wait." She stomped her boot back down on Ward's back.

Ward groaned from the force of the boot grinding into his wings. "An appointment with who?" he asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Me." a gravely, harsh voice answered.

Ward strained his neck to see a black-clad, pale-white figure striding towards him. Ward had never seen him before, but the man's blood-red eyes told him exactly who he was.

"Lucifer." Ward stated, struggling to get up.

Lucifer walked over and crouched down beside Ward, "That's right, but you can call me whatever you want." he replied smiling, revealing bright-white teeth. He looked back up to the female demon holding Ward down, "Let him up. I can't talk to him like this." he ordered.

The demon sighed, stepping off of Ward and walking back. Ward sat up and glared at the king of the demons.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked.

"What do you think?" Lucifer sneered. "You. It's not everyday when a reaper of your stature falls from Heaven. I know that you've been stripped of half of your power, but there's still tons left inside of you. Tons waiting to be manipulated by yours truly."

"And what makes you think that I'll let you do that?!" Ward exclaimed. "I'll kill you first!" He tried to summon his scythe, but nothing came.

Lucifer smiled, "Nothing's going to work here, I'm afraid. This is a void within hell. You can't summon anything here. You can't fight back."

Ward gulped, stepping back as the black shadows approached closer, "What are you going to do to me?" he asked, voice growing weak with fear.

"Experiments. I want to see what happens to a half-angel of death when you apply the darkness of hell to it. I know that half of you is human, let's see what I can do to that human side. A mixture of angel _and _demon, I like it. A true monster. Fighting constantly between the good and the evil within them, creating a true force of chaos. That's what I'm all about." Lucifer explained with a laugh.

Ward's stomach froze, "W-What?!" he stammered, stepping back. "I am not going to let you do that!"

Lucifer smiled, "Like I said, you can't fight back. You can't run."

Ward's face twitched, "Do not underestimate me." he hissed. His wings unfurled and he bolted up in the air. "You can't turn me into some kind of monster I'm not!" he yelled.

Lucifer sighed, diverting his attention to the female demon and the shadow figures. He nodded at them and then to Ward, who hovered above them.

The shadows shot forward and Ward collapsed to the ground, something pulling him by his ankle. Ward groaned as he smashed into the cold, hard ground. The female demon stalked over and grabbed him by his wrists and pulled him up, holding him tight.

Lucifer walked closer, "I told you that you can't run here." he hissed. "I rule this void, I control it. I can make anything happen here. You can't escape, and you are bound." He noted the demon that held Ward bound by the wrists, even though he couldn't see her due to the Nephilim's massive wings.

Ward struggled to break free, but the demon's grip was too tight, "You aren't going to do anything to me. I can't be turned into some monster."

"And you've already been a monster." Lucifer sneered, coming within inches of Ward. "Don't think I don't know you, Grant Ward. You've been a monster before, maybe not a literal one. You think that being an angel of death has erased that darkness, but it hasn't. It's still there, waiting for me to manipulate it. I can't wait to see what happens." he crooned. "I've never have had the chance to do this before. Let's see what happens."

Ward struggled, trying to get away from the lead demon, but it was useless. There was nowhere to go. He screamed as Lucifer placed a hand on his chest, a pain so intense filled him.

He couldn't see, he couldn't hear. There was nothing but pain. Then he felt it, something growing inside of him waiting to come screaming out. An evil so malignant, so foul. Everything was falling down around him.

And then there was nothing.

Blackness.

Evil.

Death.

* * *

(Elsewhere)

The Bus roared through the air, heading towards the last registered location of Ward. And the team was frantic, not knowing was going on.

"Maybe he just smashed the damn thing!" Fitz exclaimed for like the one-hundredth time. "Maybe we're doing this for nothing!"

"And maybe something did happen and he's dead right now!" Skye shot back. "Maybe he's dead and we couldn't do anything about it! He's probably long gone by now!"

"Skye, calm down." Hunter said. "He's okay. I don't think he'll go down that easily. Look, he didn't even really die before. I don't he's dead now."

Skye looked at the Brit, "You really think so?" she asked.

"I guess." he replied. "Look, I don't even know where we're going. Don't ask me anything."

"It's a small town in Georgia near the border with South Carolina." Bobbi said. "Coulson told us that."

"What's with Ward and the South?" Mack asked. "We found him in South Carolina and now he's in Georgia."

"Could be a coincidence." Simmons said. "That's probably as far as he got before the tracker went dead or what not."

"I hope it just went dead or Ward dealt with it." Skye said. "I don't, I don't want to lose him again."

"I think he's fine, Skye." Simmons said, trying to reassure her. "Fitz may be right. Maybe we're doing this for nothing and he's completely fine. But we don't want to overlook this and leave him alone and he's in danger. Coulson just wants to take all precautions."

"I know." Skye sighed. "It's just that I'm afraid. He acted like something really dangerous was after him. And if it caught up to him, I'm scared to see what happened to him. He may be hurt, dead, I don't know."

"Stop worrying so much, Skye." Bobbi said. "I'm sure that he's perfectly fine."

"I hope you're right."

"I hope so too."

And they didn't know just how wrong they were.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Yeah, so, yeah. If you don't know already, I'm infamous for these types of fics, the monster ones. So you might already know what's going to take place if you have read some of my other stories. Yeah, I'll leave you here. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and review! (Please guys, I wanna make it to at least 32 reviews! Can I get four?) ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	11. Chapter 11 (And We Will Fall)

**Chapter Eleven (And We Will Fall)**

(Sometime Later)

Voices, he heard voices everywhere. Screams. Cries. The sound of death. Sirens filled the distance. Shouts swarmed his head. The faint smell of blood filled his nostrils.

He struggled to peel his eyes open, harsh, white light pouring into them. Everything hurt, everything burned. His vision was blurred with streaks of red tinting it. He laid practically glued to the floor, unable to get up due to the burning pain.

He clawed at the carpet, trying to pull himself forward towards the bed he could barely make out. Red tinted his hands, surprising him in his already disoriented state. Bringing them towards his lowered head, he saw that blood was caked and dried all over them. Bile started to rise.

What happened? What was going on? Where did the blood come from? Why was there so much screaming?

Brief flashes of red, piercing eyes haunted his thoughts. But where did they come from? He couldn't remember. All he remembered was getting to the motel then nothing. Now he was lying on the ratty floor of his room, covered in blood, he didn't know if it was his own or someone else's, and dying.

"Help…" he croaked out, barely making a sound. His voice was too weak, too sore. "Help…"

He reached towards the bed with a bloodied hand, but a violent tremor passed through his body, causing him to collapse entirely to the ground. Something sinful and corrupt felt as though it was building itself up inside of his mind and chest, blurring everything else out.

A sharp twinge of pain caused him to wretch, but nothing came up. He was dying, this was death.

His vision started to darken as his body started to tremble. What was going on? Something was wrong with him. Something really bad.

But he didn't get to see what was going on. His vision went completely dark, unconsciousness meeting him once again. His body stilled, only the soft rise and fall of his chest moved him.

His wings stirred from underneath his tattered jacket and shirt, twisting and turning. He let out a small, soft whimper as his unconscious form started to tremble once more.

And all he felt was pain.

Death.

Darkness.

An evil so vile was stirring. And it was from deep within him.

* * *

Coulson, Bobbi, Hunter, May, and Skye approached the small motel, which was surrounded by a heavy police force. They gulped seeing frantic, crying people running around dazed. EMTs provided medical service to a few people. Cops tried to figure out what was going on.

"I don't think that Ward 'just smashed the damn thing'." Hunter commented as they approached the police tape surrounding the motel complex. "Something happened."

"I can see that." Coulson said.

A police officer noticed them and came towards them, "Can I help you?" he asked. "This is a crime scene, I'm afraid no one can come in."

Coulson flashed his SHIELD badge, "We're SHIELD. We were, uh, in the area and noticed the commotion." he said.

The officer raised an eyebrow, "Oh, sorry Director." he said.

"No problem. What's going on?" Coulson asked.

The officer motioned towards the building, "We really don't know what exactly." he said, letting the five agents in the scene. "It's bloody though."

"Bloody?" May asked as they followed the officer.

"Someone, well some_thing_ killed about five people here brutally. Tore them apart. 'Bout seven people got hurt. We really don't know."

"Something?" Hunter asked.

"The victims were torn apart by what seems to be claws, but there's no wild animals recorded to do that around here." the officer explained. "That's why we're saying something."

"So what kills five people brutally in a small, Southern town?" Skye asked. "That makes no sense."

"I'm saying aliens." the officer said. "But that's ridiculous, I know."

Coulson sighed, "Nothing's ridiculous these days." he said. "Just show us where most of the damage took place."

"I can't do that myself, I'm gonna have to direct you to the sheriff here on duty." the officer replied.

Coulson nodded as the officer brought them to a tall, muscular, dark-skinned man in a sheriff's uniform.

The man turned around, "Lieutenant Johnson, who are they?" he asked.

"Uh, Sheriff Holden, this is Director Coulson and his agents. Of SHIELD." Johnson replied nervously.

Holden raised an eyebrow, "SHIELD?" he asked. "How are you in the area?"

"Investigating something else." Coulson replied. "Saw all the commotion and decided to see what's going on."

"Good thing you came, Director." Holden said, shaking Coulson's hand. "Did Johnson already explain to you what happened?"

Coulson nodded, "He did. Any clues to what happened?"

Holden shook his head, "No, other than something not human killed them. Wild animal or something. But the wildlife service already concluded that it couldn't have been a wild animal. Monster. That's what I'm going with."

"Mind if we take a look in the rooms and talk with people?" Coulson asked. "Try to gauge what's going on."

Holden nodded, "I guess. Maybe you can figure something out."

Coulson nodded and looked to the four agents, "Go around and see what you can find." he said. "Talk to whoever you can."

They all nodded and walked off.

Coulson looked back to Sheriff Holden, "Are people saying what it was?" he asked.

Holden let out a small laugh, "Their explanations are crazy though."

"Crazier than monster or alien?" he asked, looking at Johnson.

"Well, witnesses who survived are sayin' that it was a demon." Holden responded.

"Demon?" Coulson asked.

"Someone said it was a tall man, the only thing humanly she could make out about it. It had piercin', red eyes, pointed ears, apparently fangs and claws, and massive bat-like wings. And it was covered in blood. Lady could've been hallucinating, but we really don't know. I hope y'all can figure somethin' out." Holden explained.

"We'll figure something out, hopefully." Coulson said. "I don't need demons invading the world now."

* * *

(Meanwhile)

Skye searched the motel rooms, looking for anything that showed what could've killed five people horribly. Bobbi and Hunter were talking to witnesses and May was searching another part of the building. Three rooms were roped off, she figured that meant there were bodies inside.

And this was the motel that Ward was last registered at. What happened to him? Could he had been killed and they didn't know it? What exactly happened here?

She held her breath, looking in another darkened room. Nothing. But something on the floor caught her eye near the bed as she started to leave. She switched on the light and gasped, freezing in fear.

Ward. Ward laid in a broken heap on the floor, his clothes tattered and blood covering his face and hands. Whatever had killed the five people had gotten to him.

She ran over to him, falling to her knees next to him. She frantically shook him, "Grant! Grant!" she cried. The ground trembled slightly beneath them, a signal that her emotions were getting out of hand.

His face twitched in response and his eyes snapped open. He scampered back, a fear in his eyes that reminded Skye of the Berserker Incident, "Get back!" he screeched. "Get away!"

"Grant! It's me, Skye!" Skye exclaimed, reaching a hand out towards the frightened half-angel.

Ward blinked, recognition filling his face, "Skye?" he asked. "What? What's going…" He didn't get to finish. He collapsed back to the carpet again, unconscious.

"Grant!" Skye's head whipped back towards the door, "Coulson! May! Bobbi! Hunter!" she screamed. "Help!"

She looked back to Ward's blood-covered, unconscious stature. What happened to him? As she saw his face twitch, she figured that it wasn't good.

Something dark.

Something evil.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So a pretty gruesome chapter. What exactly killed the five people? What exactly is wrong with Ward? I don't know. Try to figure it out. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	12. Chapter 12 (What Lurks in Malevolence)

**Chapter Twelve (What Lurks in Malevolence) **

Bright light filtered into Ward's eyes as he slowly peeled them open. He held up an arm to block out the sudden light, sitting up. As his eyes adjusted, he took in his surroundings.

He froze, another SHIELD infirmary room. But what happened? Everything was a haze of blurs and fuzz, he couldn't piece anything together. There was a demon, then nothing. Everything went blank except the faint thought of blood and screams. But it still didn't make any sense.

His wings were folded in close to his body, unscathed. An IV was stuck in his hand. There was nothing bandaged or stitched-up, but everything hurt like hell. And something stuck in his chest, like a bad feeling that something was horribly wrong but he couldn't piece together what it was. And this bothered him.

It took him a while to finally realize that it was dark outside, judging by the absence of light outside of the small window in the wall next to him. Probably late at night since the only sounds heard were the soft, steady beat of the heart monitor next to him.

No one would be in this part of the base except for the occasional night med agent. Ward was surprised that Skye wasn't asleep in the chair across from his bed. Coulson probably told her to go to sleep in her own bed or something like that.

Ward enjoyed the quiet, shuffling his wings. This was the first peaceful moment he had in the past few days. It was always hectic, with demons pursuing him and all. But something seemed… Off…

Something felt wrong, like something was watching him. That heaviness in his chest returned.

Suddenly, it felt like his heart completely stopped. Ward gripped his chest, trying to catch a breath. The heart monitor beside him starting beeping wildly, signaling no heart rate.

Everything around him seemed to stop as intense pain filled him. It felt like there was something inside of him trying to claw its way out. He couldn't breathe, his vision blurred, he started to panic.

Could this be some kind of heart attack? But something seemed really off about it. He had had one before, and this felt nothing like it. Something was happening to him, something really bad.

He couldn't move, nothing responded to him as he still clutched his chest. Med agents came running in, trying to help him.

"Get away from me!" he screamed. Where did that come from? He didn't think about saying that, it just slipped out. And his voice, if he was hearing clearly, sounded distorted and deeper than usual. Almost…. Monstrous….

And as quickly as it started, the pain subsided and his heart started to slowly beat again, the heart monitor slowly returning to normal. He took a shaky breath, his entire body trembling.

He blinked, trying to turn to look at the agents, but they were gone. Wait, where did they go? They were just in here trying to help him, now they were nowhere to be seen. Why would they had run away from someone that could've died? It didn't make sense.

But as Ward's senses came back together, he thought back to his scream. The demonic-sounding scream. Did something happen in that moment that had scared the med agents off?

He let his head drop to the pillow, ignoring the fact that he was squishing his wings. It took a while for his body to finally stop shaking and for his breathing to return to normal. He was worried.

Something was wrong with him, something bad. That was no normal heart attack, something else was wrong His skin crawled remembering the feeling of something trying to break its way out of him. He held his hands above his face, staring at them.

"_What's wrong with me?"_ he thought. "_What happened that I can't remember? What's going on?"_

* * *

(A Little Bit Later)

Ward sat up as someone came into the room. He saw Skye walking sleepily into the room, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "Skye, what are you doing?" he asked.

Her face brightened up and she ran over to his bed, "Grant, you're awake!" she exclaimed, throwing herself almost on top of him.

"Hey, watch it!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry." she said, stepping back. "Why didn't anyone tell me that you're awake?" she asked.

"I just woke up not too long ago." Ward replied. "What are you doing up? What time is it?" he asked.

"'Bout one in the morning. I couldn't sleep. Heard something going on, looks like nothing's happening." Skye responded. "Did something happen?"

Ward shook his head, "Not, not that I know of." he said hesitantly, not wanting to mention his freakish heart attack. He blinked, looking off to the side, "What happened to me?" he asked.

Skye slumped down into the chair, "We really don't know, Grant." she said. "Honestly, Coulson had a tracker planted in your bag so he could make sure that you were okay for a while. Then two days ago we lost connection to it. We located you to a motel in a small Georgia town where we found you broken and bloodied, almost dead.

Something attacked the motel, something not human." she continued. "Killed, well, ripped apart five people and injured several others. It was described as human-like, red-eyed, had claws, fangs, pointed ears, and massive bat-like wings. Must've been some kind of demon that was after you."

Something clicked in Ward's mind that didn't make sense whatsoever. For some reason, he felt as though that the demon was related to him in some way. Not just the fact that it tried to kill him. But what was this feeling?

"Is it, is it gone?" Ward asked.

Skye shook her head, "We don't know, can't find it anywhere. But it seems to be long gone. The town's pretty shaken up too. It's not everyday when a demon attacks and kills five people." she said.

A sudden, overwhelming guilt poured onto Ward's consciousness, he just didn't know why though. His face paled, starting to feel sick for no reason whatsoever. Could he… Could he possibly had done that? Something told him that it was him. What happened? What was wrong with him?

"Grant, you okay?" Skye called out. "Earth to angel. Are you there? You look like you're about to throw up. Do you need a trash can?" she asked, standing up from the chair and walking over.

She placed a hand on Ward's shoulder, "Are you okay?" she repeated. "Do I need to find someone?"  
Ward numbly shook his head, "They won't come." he muttered. "They're scared of me. Something's…. Inside of me…."

Skye's face fell, "Grant, you're not making any sense. What's inside of you? Do you have a bug? Is it Ebola? Can half-angels even get Ebola?" she asked.

"Something…. Evil…."

"Grant, what the hell are you talking about?" Skye asked. "You're not making any sense."

Ward looked at the young agent, his brown eyes filled with pain, "Something's wrong with me." he croaked.

"What? There's nothing wrong with you." Skye stated. "Other than you're half-angel or whatever. There's nothing wrong with you."

"You don't…. You don't understand." he muttered.

"What do I not understand?"

"Skye," She saw him gulp as he paused. "I think…. Those five people, I think it was me."

"What?"

"I think I was what killed those five people. I killed them."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So, that's an interesting bump in the story. What's going on with Ward and is his suspicions about himself true? Is he really what brutally murdered those five people? I don't know. Keep reading and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE favorite, follow, and review! (Please review!) ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	13. Chapter 13 (I Don't Know Who I Am)

**Chapter Thirteen (I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore)**

Skye's stomach dropped at Ward's statement. She didn't even know what to say. "Grant, what?" she asked, confused. "You're not making any sense."

Ward swallowed, "Skye, I'm being honest with you." he said. "I think I killed those five people."

Skye shook her head, "Grant, that's ridiculous." she said, trying to laugh it off. It wasn't possible, right? Right? "Locals said it was some kind of demonic monster. Last time I checked, that's not you. Whatever it was _attacked you_. You were a victim, not the attacker."

Honestly, Ward didn't know what to say. He knew that it couldn't had possibly been him, but at the same time he knew it was him. He didn't know who he was anymore.

"Skye, I don't know what's going on." Ward uttered, barely raising his voice. "That's something I would never do, not anymore. But at the same time, for some damn reason, I know it was me. There's this feeling in the pit of my stomach, like something trying to tear its way out. Like an animal. Something happened to me at the motel, and it led to the murders. Something caused me to kill those people, Skye. Something is wrong with me."

Skye blinked, rubbing her arm, "Grant, nothings wrong with you. You're making this all up or something." she assumed. "There's no way that you killed five innocent civilians that brutally. Grant, they were torn apart, like a bear or a wolf got to them, not you."

"It was me, but at the same time it wasn't."

"You're still spewing nonsense."

Ward held his head in his hands, like he was in pain. The heart monitor started to register a faster heart rate. Ward spoke, but he didn't release his head from his hands, "Look, S-Skye… Something's, something is wrong with me." he whispered, his voice full of pain.

He looked up, his eyes shrunken in fear and pointing a finger at his head, "Something's inside of me. I want it out. I'm afraid…." He trailed off and didn't say another word, holding his head in agony again and wrapping his wings tightly around himself.

"Grant?" Skye asked, voice filling with worry. She came closer.

"Just get away." Ward muttered. "Before whatever it is tries to kill you. Leave me alone, let me sleep."

Skye gulped, backing up slightly, "Grant,"

"Please."

She took a long, deep breath, "Fine, Grant. Get try to sleep, hopefully this will all wear off. You'll be fine in the morning. Just sleep."

She turned to leave the Nephilim alone, but a small croak stopped her.

"Please, please don't mention any of this to Coulson. I don't want him to have any reason to kill me, not now." Ward muttered, still covered by his wings.

Skye nodded, even though Ward couldn't see her, "I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

(Two Days Later)

"So, do we have any clue yet to what killed those people?" May asked, looking at Coulson.

Coulson had the entire team in one of the base's meeting rooms, even Ward, discussing the motel even from three days ago.

Coulson shook his head, "No, we don't. The only thing we can conclude from the witnesses' statements is that it was something otherworldly. Most likely demonic in nature. We've been through this a hundred times already. We still don't exactly know." he explained.

Hunter looked over to Ward, who stood uncomfortably in the corner, "Well, did you ask Ward?" he asked. "He was attacked by the damn thing."

"No, but I don't think he wants to answer that." Coulson replied. "He just got out of the infirmary yesterday, and he's still adjusting to being around us after three years of being gone."

"I didn't see anything anyways." Ward muttered, his arms folded and keeping his head low. "It was too dark anyways"

Hunter almost laughed, "Give me a break." he complained. "You had to see something. Anything. There's no way that it was 'too dark'."

"I said I didn't see anything."

"Hunter," Bobbi warned.

"You were attacked by the damn thing and you're telling me that you didn't see it? You didn't see a massive hellbeast attack you? I don't believe it." Hunter teased.

"_Lance,"_ Bobbi repeated, but sterner.

Skye frowned, seeing a muscle twitch in Ward's face. She already knew that he was uncomfortable being around the team with whatever was wrong with him, but this was just making it worse.

"Tell the truth." Hunter urged.

"I said I didn't see anything!" Ward snapped. "Stop bothering me!" He stormed out of the room.

"Lance, I told you to stop!" Bobbi exclaimed, glaring at Hunter.

Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose, "I said that he probably didn't want to say anything, Hunter."

"Is he, is he okay?" Fitz asked.

"I think he's just traumatized from the attack." Skye said, not mentioning what she actually knew. That something was wrong with Ward. "And Lance didn't help."

"Well sorry, I know that he knows something." Hunter said. "He's keeping it from us."

"And maybe he didn't feel comfortable bringing it up." Mack said. "Being attacked by some unknown creature probably really messes with you."

"Lance, you shouldn't have urged him like that." Simmons said.  
"I said I was sorry."

May looked to Skye, "Skye, you might want to go see if he's okay." she said. "We'll keep talking about whatever the hell is going on."

Skye nodded and briskly walked out of the meeting room and down the twisting hallways of the base, trying to figure out where Ward could possibly had gone. He couldn't have gone far in the short time he was gone. And he didn't know his way around the base.

There were only two possibilities to where he was, the infirmary room or his room. Those were the only places he knew the location of. The infirmary area was closest, so Skye decided to check the room he had been in.

She walked hurriedly down the hallway, hoping that nothing was going on. She didn't know what was wrong with Ward or what could possibly trigger it. She hoped that his little outburst with Hunter didn't trigger anything.

If Ward was really that thing that slaughtered those five people, then a storm was about to come over them. With that thought, Skye broke into a run.

She ran into the infirmary room, and sighed seeing Ward sitting up against the wall, knees up against his chest, his wings wrapped around him, and his head down. Skye thought everything was okay, until she noticed that Ward's body was trembling and he was taking ragged, rapid breaths. Something was wrong.

She cautiously approached the half-angel, "Grant?" she called out. "It's me, Skye. Are you okay. Hunter's sorry."

"That… Won't…. Be enough…." he muttered, his voice low and distorted.

Skye stopped and frowned, "Grant, what?" she asked.

The feathers of his wings started moving slightly. Skye gulped, she knew that feathers probably didn't move like that on an angel.

"Grant, what's wrong?" Skye asked, backing up slightly.

His head shot up. Skye froze, seeing that his eyes were no longer their soft-brown. They were blood-red.

"G-Grant?" she stammered.

And the response she heard was a bone-chilling, inhuman growl.

"Run."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Cliffhanger! So the story starts to take a drastic, dark turn (like they always do). So it seems that Ward is really the monster that slaughtered the five people, and it looks like the monster is coming. Not good. Not good. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	14. Chapter 14 (Like a Bullet Without Pain)

**Chapter Fourteen (Like a Bullet Without Pain)**

"I'm just saying that there's got to be some way to figure out what the hell attacked that motel." Hunter said. "I know Ward doesn't want to bring it up, but he knows something that could help identify this monster."

"If he doesn't want to say anything, he's not going to say anything." Coulson stated. "He'll say something in time."

"And we probably don't have time to wait until Ward decides to crack." Hunter shot back, taking a breath. "That _thing _might kill ten more people before Ward says anything. We've got to find something out before that monster decides to kill again."

"He's got a point, sir." Simmons said. "If we don't find anything out anytime soon about this being,"

"More people will die." Fitz added in.

"Exactly."

Coulson sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Look, I don't know what to do. I don't want to bother Ward, he's clearly traumatized and doesn't want to mention anything about the attack. But I do want to know what the hell is going on."

"Did the police at the scene find anything else?" Mack asked.

May shook her head, "No, other than two more mangled, dead bodies." she replied.

"Two more?" Bobbi asked. "So that thing killed seven?"

"Believe it or not." Coulson sighed. "And whatever it was, it was probably after Ward. He was saying that demons were after him, and it looks like one got to him. And other people at that."

"Great." Hunter moaned. "So we're really dealing with a crazy, murderous demon here. Something spawned from pure evil."

"Like Grendel?" Simmons asked.

Hunter frowned, "Who?"

Simmons sighed, "In _Beowulf_. You know, that old Anglo-Saxon epic poem about good versus evil."

"Oh, that." Hunter said, rolling his eyes.

Fitz blinked, noticing that Skye nor Ward were back yet."Hey, Skye's been gone a while." he said. "Are, are they okay?"

Coulson frowned, "You're right, they both have been gone for a while." he said, looking around. "We should probably go look for them. I don't know where they're at though."

A piercing shriek cut through the air, settling deep into their bones, and making them freeze.

"Was that, _Skye_?" Hunter asked, looking around.

May gulped, "That was Skye." she spat out. "Something's going on."

Coulson looked to the team, "Just don't stand there, go find her! And Ward!"

* * *

(Just a Little Bit Ago)

As soon as that monstrous growl escaped Ward's lips, Skye didn't waste time. She bolted out of the room just as Ward doubled over to the floor, trembling violently. An inhuman scream reverberated out of the room. As she dashed down the hallway, she feared for what was happening.

Ward claimed that there was some kind of monster inside of him, and what Skye had just seen said just that. The way that his eyes basically bled red and the way his normally calming voice had distorted into something of a monster's terrified her.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway as a lurid dread came over her. Something was wrong, and she sensed it. She gulped and started to tremble as a rustle and a slight growl sounded from behind her. She watched in fear as SHIELD agents bolted down the hallway, away from whatever was behind her. That wasn't good. Whatever was behind her had to be terrifying for it to scare several SHIELD agents off.

Skye managed to bring herself to turn around, but it was slow and shaky in nature. And what she saw looked like hell incarnate, terrifying her.

Ward, but at the same time it wasn't him. It was a monster in Ward's skin. And some gruesome transformation had taken place with him. His massive, black feathered wings were no more. Instead black, leather-like wings took their place. Like a bat's.

His ears were slightly pointed, he had what seemed to be claws, and what Skye could tell through his snarl, he had pointed teeth. All that on top of his blood-red eyes.

Skye gulped, "G-Grant?" she quietly stammered. "Grant?"

The snarl became more defined as a growl escaped the demon-Ward's lips.

"What happened to you?" Skye asked, backing up as Ward came closer.

Another growl as Ward clenched his clawed fists. It was clear to Skye that Ward wasn't Ward, whatever was inside of him had taken him completely over, no trace of Ward left.

"Grant," she repeated. "I don't know what happened to you, but this isn't you. Snap out of it and listen to me!" she screamed, starting to cry.

"You ran from me…"

Skye's eyes widened, "What? You told me to run!"

"I didn't, he did…"

Skye realized that the monster was a completely different personality, with its own thinking pattern. It was literally something else living inside of Ward, only using him as a vessel. It didn't care about her.

She didn't say anything, trying to restrain her fear so it wouldn't end up triggering an earthquake in the middle of the SHIELD headquarters. Tears ran down her face as she trembled.

"There is no running, only death." he hissed, red eyes blazing and monstrous wings shuffling behind him. "Those who run, will be slaughtered. Even your pathetic little angel friend. He's gone now, I have control."

Skye scrambled backwards, the ground starting to shake around the two, "Grant, listen to me!" she screamed. "I know that you're in there! This isn't you! Don't let something else control you! Please, Grant!" She fell to the ground, tripping over her own feet in her blind fear. "Please!"

The demon lurched forward, claws bared, "He isn't here! He doesn't exist anymore! There is only me! That pathetic piece of crap Nephilim is no longer here!"

Skye screamed as the demon that had taken place of the man she loved darted towards her, and there was nothing she could do.

Grant Ward was gone, and only a demon stood in his place.

* * *

"_Like a bullet without pain, like a beauty without rage. Like an innocence without a life to save. Like a hope without a faith. Like your eyes without a face. Like an instinct with no other life to take…"_

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Lyrics used are from 'The Ever' by Red. Decided to uses lyrics at the end because I'm obsessed with the song (even though it's not out yet and there's only a preview) and thought it fit. So, yeah, that happened. It seems that Ward is gone, only the demon left. And will Skye be okay? I don't know, you've got to read the next chapter. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	15. Chapter 15 (Like a Beauty Without Rage)

**Chapter Fifteen (Like a Beauty Without Rage)**

Coulson sprinted down the hallway along with May. Bobbi and Hunter took another way, and Fitzsimmons and Mack had took a third way. Skye hadn't screamed in the past several minutes, so Coulson was afraid that something really bad had happened.

"Where could they have gone off to?" May asked, looking over at Coulson as they ran. "They weren't gone long, what could be going on?"

Coulson shook his head, "Mel, I have no clue. Knowing what happened to Ward, there's probably another demon after him." he said. "And it got on the base."

"Great." May muttered. "How do we fight a demon?"  
"No clue."

The two continued running until a screeching shriek stopped them dead in their tracks. The shriek sounded inhuman, but familiar as well.

Coulson looked at May, "What was that?" he asked, eyes wide. "What the hell was that?"

May gulped, "Do I even want to find out?" she questioned. "But whatever it is, it does not sound human. At all."

Coulson looked down the hallway, seeing SHIELD agents running in fear. He unsheathed his gun from its holster on his belt, "Whatever it is, it's got my agents freaked out. And those are some of the bravest men and woman I know, it's got to be bad if they're freaked out."

"Then let's go." May said briskly. "We don't need anyone dying on us."  
Coulson hesitated, "Did, did something seem _familiar_ about that screech?" he asked.

May frowned, "What? All it sounded like to me is a monster, a demon probably." she replied.

Coulson shook his head, "No, take away the monstrous sound of it, something seemed oddly familiar about it. I just can't put my finger on it." he said.

May sighed, "We'll find out, Phil." she huffed. "Now, let's just work on finding the damn thing and Skye and Ward. Like I said, we don't need anyone dying on us."

Coulson hesitated once more but then nodded, starting to run towards the source of the screech along with May.

"I don't like this." Coulson yelled, over the blaring alarm that just started to sound. "Not one bit. Ward gets injured, traumatized, and now some monster is on the base. I feel like it's all related."

"What do you mean?" May asked loudly. "The demon is after him, if that's what you mean."

"No, more than that." Coulson replied briskly. "I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like this attack is connected to whatever happened to Ward back at that motel."

"I don't know what you mean, but I don't like the sound of it." May said.

Coulson took a breath and the two continued running, only stopping when they found Skye lying on the ground, cowering in fear underneath the visage of a winged man.

The man had their back turned to them, so they could only see the massive, black bat-like wings that protruded from his back.

"Skye!" Coulson called, pointing his gun, not ICER, at the beast. May pointed her gun at the beast as well.

Skye's eyes darted to Coulson, "Coulson!" she screamed. They could see that a massive gash went down the right side of her face, bleeding heavily.

"Get back Skye, I'm going to shoot it!" Coulson yelled.

Skye violently shook her head, "No, don't! It's…" she trailed off.

The beast growled and slowly turned around, Coulson and May froze at the sight of who the monster really was.

Ward.

"Ward?" May asked, her face fallen.

"What, this doesn't… This doesn't make sense." Coulson muttered.

Ward left the bleeding Skye behind and slowly approached the Director and the senior agent, his clawed hands clenched at his side.

"What, what happened to you, Grant?" Coulson asked, his gun trembling.

"Grant is gone." he hissed. "I am not him."

"Then who are you?" May asked keeping her gun trained on him. "If you are not Ward."

"That isn't a concern to you." he growled. "But I am the one that will kill you all, that is my job. To extinguish all good, all light, the enemies of hell. Your friend is merely my vessel to accomplish this task."

"Then you're a coward." Skye croaked from behind him. "Using the man, the man I love as a way to shield yourself. You're a coward."

Demon Ward snarled and turned around, reapproaching Skye who now stood, blood dripping down her face. "Who said I was using anyone as a shield?" he asked.

"Me."

He smiled, "I might've had lied just a bit, I'm no one different." he said, voice rumbling. "But at the same time I am. There is no one else in this body but me, I made it up all along."

Skye's face fell, "Then you're still there, Grant?" she asked.

He smiled, cunning and devious, "Of course I am." he said. "I'm just… _Different."_

"You are not the Ward I know." Skye spat, stepping back from him. "I don't know what happened to you, but it turned you into some kind of monster. Literally. The one I loved is gone. I don't know who the hell you are."

Ward's red eyes flared and he bared his sharp teeth, his wings rustling behind him. He grabbed her by the arm, his claws digging into her skin, "Listen here, I don't have time to put up with your crap. Now shut it, before I kill you first. Painfully, brutally. The angel you knew is gone. Only a demon remains. Get used to it." he hissed.

Skye struggled to get away, the claws only digging deeper into her skin, "Go to hell." she spat. "I don't know you anymore."

Ward smiled, "I've already been there."

The sound of a gun being fired echoed through the air. Ward quickly let go of Skye as the pain of a bullet ripping through muscle shot through his back. He spun around.

"What the hell do you think you are trying to do?!" he screeched, storming towards Coulson and May. "You can't stop me with one, measly bullet!"

Coulson gulped, "No, but several will." He emptied the rest of his clip into Ward's chest, the demon's body shaking from the impact.

Ward's body fell to the ground, black blood seeping onto the ground. Coulson threw his gun aside and he and May ran towards Skye. But Skye didn't accept their worry.

"Why the hell did you freaking shoot him!" she yelled, tears in her eyes.

Coulson swallowed, "Skye, he was going to probably kill us all. If I didn't do anything, we would be dead by now."

"But it was Grant! He wouldn't hurt us!"

May looked over to the fallen body of the demon and then back to Skye, "Skye, that wasn't Ward." she said. "The Ward we knew is long gone. _He, _he's a monster. He's someone completely different. And I seriously doubt that bullets killed him."

A groaning sound was heard, despite the still-blaring sound of the alarm.

Skye's eyes darted over to Ward's body and she froze. His monstrous wings had somehow shifted back to his massive, black angel wings.

She ran over, pushing Coulson and May out of the way and kneeled by Ward's bleeding side. With a giant push, she rolled him over onto his back, making sure not to hurt his wings or disturb the bleeding.

His face actually looked normal, the pointed ears were gone and his slightly-agape mouth showed no pointed teeth. His clawed hands were back to normal and she figured his eyes were was well.

"I don't believe it." Coulson huffed as he and May walked over. "He's an, an angel again."

"Get him help, Coulson." Skye stated firmly. "Don't let him die or anything."

"I won't let him die. But Skye, I'm afraid he's going to have to go into a containment cell. Until we can figure out a solution to what exactly is wrong with him." Coulson replied.

"There's a whole other side to him." May said. "And I guess whenever it snaps, that monster comes out. Like Bruce Banner and the Hulk."

"You're going to treat him like a monster!" Skye exclaimed.

"Skye, this is for the safety of everyone in this base. He himself may not be a monster, but that thing is. If it get out again, it'll be way worse this time. It's only to monitor him until we can figure something out." Coulson responded. "Nothing more. Now, we'll get him medical attention and then he'll be taken to the containment cell. And you need to get that gash cleaned up."

"But,"

"Now, Skye." May said sternly.

Honestly, no one knew what to do. They didn't know that Ward had developed a whole other side to him. One that was murderous and wicked. One that would kill them all if it got out of control.

Coulson didn't want to have to contain him, but it was the only option. A monster practically lived inside of Ward, itching to get out. And it could happen at any moment.

A half-angel was now plagued with a demon side. Half-angel, half-demon. Half-light, half-darkness. Half-good, half-evil.

'Cause what's beauty without rage?

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Yeah, dark chapter, I know. There's two sides to Ward now, the demon and the angel. Which will win? I don't know. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	16. Chapter 16 (The Darkest Part of Me)

**Chapter Sixteen (The Darkest Part of Me)**

(A Few Hours Later)

Fitz blinked, looking nervously towards the containment cells where Ward was located. "B-But how can this, ah, be?" he asked. "I still don't, uh, uh, understand to how he's the monster."

Coulson sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Look, I'm still completely confused to what is going on. But that's what I saw. May and Skye can testify for that. The monster's Ward. Something happened to him and it turned him into that. Or half that. It seems to be like a Hulk-like monster, only coming out at certain times and staying hidden the rest of the time." he explained.

"And the reason to why you had him locked up?" Simmons asked. "I thought that we were past that."

"I know, we were." Coulson stated. "But this is for the safety for us and the entire base. If the monster, demon, whatever it was gets out, I want it contained to where we can deal with it easily. I have research teams trying to find a solution for Ward, but he's not human. At this point, he's probably half-angel, half-demon. We don't know about either angel or demon physiology, so I don't know how this is going to go."

"But if _it _gets out of control," Hunter started. "Will we end up having to kill him?" he asked.

May sighed, "We don't want to get to that point, but yes. Unfortunately, we may have to take Ward out if everything gets out of hand. And for some reason, I know that is what he would want." she explained.

Bobbi took a breath, looking towards the containment cells, "Skye's in there, isn't she?" she asked.

Mack nodded, "Yes, she is. I was just in there making sure that everything was right with the cell and its systems. She won't leave his side, despite several inches of extreme industrial-grade cell glass between them. If that isn't love there, then I don't know what is."

"He mean a lot to her, even after everything." Coulson said solemnly. "There was one point where I did want to see him dead and gone. But if it's like this, losing himself to some kind of monster from hell, I don't know what I was thinking. He's done everything to try and repay us for his betrayal, he did. And now it looks like his last act might be trying to hold the demon back from killing us." he continued.

"And, and what makes you think he's going to die?" Fitz asked, not believing Coulson.

Coulson sighed, "I don't know, Fitz. It's this feeling I have. Like everything is going to go downhill from here." he said. Blinking, he looked towards the cells, "And he's going to spend the rest of what he has left locked away, unable to do anything."

* * *

(Elsewhere)

Ward groaned as he felt the cold touch of metal against the back of his head. He peeled himself up off of what seemed to be a metal cot, stretching out the kinks in his wings.

Everything was blurred within his mind. He had clue to what happened, only various, small chunks here and there. And his mind was racing a thousand miles an hour. His body was shaking and that dark, aching feeling in his stomach and his mind was still there. That monster fighting to get out.

"Grant."

He turned at the sound of the small, relieved voice. Skye. She was standing on the other side of what seemed to be a barrier.

That's when he realized that he was imprisioned, in some kind of mechanical containment cell. He bolted off of the metal cot and to his feet, rushing towards the glass in front of Skye.

"Skye, what the hell is this?" he asked. "Why, why am I in here?"

Skye gulped, "Grant, you're right, something is wrong with you." she said softly. "I don't know any other way to put it than that."

Ward noticed the heavy bandage that covered the right side of Skye's face. He placed a hand to the glass, "Skye, what happened to your face?" he asked quietly.

Skye blinked and held a hand to the bandage, "Oh, this? It's nothing. I fell. That's all."

Ward shook his head, "Skye, tell the truth." he said. "You don't get something like that from falling. What happened? Why am I in here?"

She backed up slightly, her face paling, "Grant… You… You… I don't know what it was."

Ward's face fell, realizing what happened, "It, it came out, didn't it?" he asked smalley. "And I, I let it hurt you…" He fell to his knees. "I let it hurt you."

Skye didn't know what to say. "Grant, what's 'it'?" she asked. "Where did it come from?"

Ward kept his head down as he responded. "I don't remember much about it. But a demon caught me at that motel. Drug me somewhere, I don't know where though. Then, then _he _came and nothing was the same."

"Who's 'he'?"

"The Devil." Ward replied, still keeping his head down. "Did something to me then everything went dark. I killed those people, Skye. I don't remember how, it's all in fuzzy chunks. I lose my memory when that thing appears. And it's always there. A feeling in the pit of my stomach. In the back of my mind. Something trying to claw its way out.

And I let it. I let it kill seven people, Skye. I let it hurt you. I could've killed you."

Skye shook her head, "Grant, you're not to blame for this. That isn't you, it's something totally different. Don't blame yourself for any of this. It's not your fault."

"Stop trying to make it better." Ward muttered, slinking down to where his back rested against the glass and he couldn't see Skye. He started to wrap his wings around him, signaling that he was starting to disconnect himself from reality once again. "Just because I become something else doesn't mean that the blame is written off. It's all my fault, no matter what you say.

I'm a monster, an abomination. Something that shouldn't exist in this world. I'm a freak of nature. I was bad enough as a Nephil, but now that I'm this… A half-angel, half-demon shouldn't exist. It's only happened a few times, and each time the being went completely crazy from the conflicting forces inside of them."

"Grant, what do you mean?"

"The age-old battle of good versus evil is being constantly played out inside of them. And that drives them completely mad and incoherent. Sometimes, the demon burns away, sometimes the angel does, and sometimes they both do, leaving nothing left." Ward replied. "I'm going to die, Skye."

He heard Skye choke back tears. He knew that she was crying, despite the fact that he had his back turned to him.

"Grant, you're not going to die." Skye said, holding back tears. "We can help you."

"Skye, give it up. It's either go crazy, become completely evil, or die. I rather die than suffer. I rather die than watch you all die by my hand. And there's no help for me. I'm not of this world, there's nothing you can do for a being like me."

"Grant,"

"I'm done talking." Ward shut Skye out and everything else. Nothing mattered to him anymore.

Skye was going to say something else, but she decided against it. There was no use to talk to him anymore, at least not now. With one last look at the angel, she walked off.

She feared for what was to come. Either he would die or everyone in the base would. And she didn't want either one.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Yeah, threw a massive curveball in there. Sorry for that. So it's either die or go crazy with Ward, seeing that there's no help for him. But is there? I don't know. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	17. Chapter 17 So Afraid to be Alone)

**Chapter Seventeen (So Afraid to be Alone)**

(Three Days Later)

"How is he?" Skye asked, looking at Coulson.

"Not well, as far as we can tell. He keeps himself shut off, won't talk to anyone. I've tried, Hunter has tried, even May tried. He won't respond. He's not eating anything. And there was an incident yesterday where the demon showed itself, but the cell area agents were able to contain him." Coulson replied. "I, we, don't know what to do."

"Let me talk to him again." Skye said softly.

"Skye, you know that I don't want you going in there." Coulson said. "When you tried the other day, you remember what happened. He snapped. Almost got out of the cell, he could've killed you. I don't know if it was because of you or he's just that unstable. It's not safe for you to be around him, not anymore."

Tears started forming in Skye's eyes, "But he talked to me, even if it was just slightly." she said. "Coulson, let me talk to him some. I can probably see if there's anything he wants to tell us. I don't him dying in silence."

Coulson sighed, "Fine, but not for long." he stated. "I'll give you ten minutes. Nothing more, nothing less. Skye, I know you love him, but he's not the same person anymore. He's fighting against something that's inside of him, and it's making him completely unstable."

Skye nodded slowly, shifting uncomfortably, "Fine. I just want to see if there's anything we can do to help him. We don't know how to help someone like him, let alone fight a demon. We're helpless here. I just want to see if he knows anything."

"Skye, if he knew anything I'm sure that he would've said something to one of us by now." Coulson said. "Honestly, I believe that there's no hope for him. The only way that his suffering is going to end is when he dies. And I believe that isn't that far away."

Skye looked down at the floor and didn't respond.

"Skye, sometimes you have to face the harsh truth. We're going to lose him again. Hell, I believe that we never even got him back. The half-angel that came to us wasn't even totally him. Grant Ward is still dead. I really don't know who he is."

Skye turned her back to the man, "I don't believe you." she muttered. "I'm going to talk to him no matter what you say about him. I don't think that he's lost. I think that he can still be saved."

* * *

(A Few Minutes Later)

Ward's eyes shot to the glass beside him as the sound of someone approaching sounded. He brought his wings closer to his body as he saw Skye standing on the other side of the glass, a small, caring smile on her face.

He looked away from her. He didn't even move from his spot on the ground in the middle of the cell. For three days, he had remained in that one spot. He wasn't going to move now.

"Grant, please talk to me." Skye said softly. "I know you hear me. You're not that too far gone yet. Please just say something."

Ward didn't respond. He looked down to the gray steel of the cell floor.

"Grant, please."

"Go away." he mumbled. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You're not going to hurt me. I'm safe, you're safe. No one's getting hurt." Skye replied, relieved to hear Ward's voice.

"And how is glass going to stop a monster?" Ward asked quietly, shamefully. "I'm a monster, Skye. I killed seven innocent people, I tore them apart. I hurt you, I could've killed you. And you're acting like there's still hope for me. Give it up. I'm going to die. I'm a monster."

Skye took a breath, not sure what to say to the man, "Grant, you're not the monster, it is. You're not responsible for what it did. Stop blaming yourself."

Ward's head shot around, a pained look in his eyes, "But I let it. I couldn't control it. All of it is my fault!" he screamed. "Stop trying to make everything seem better when it's actually not."

Skye hesitated, "Grant, please calm down. We don't need anything happening." she pleaded, stepping away from the glass.

Ward shot to his feet, the pain in his eyes quickly being replaced by anger, "There it is! You do think I'm a monster!" he screamed, pain filling his voice. "And that's what I'm always going to be, a monster. Stop trying to make things like they're not."

His wings were ripping, and Skye sensed that the demon was trying to fight its way out. She saw the pain in Ward's face, he was fighting back. He was trying to hold it back.

"Grant,"

"Go away, for your own sake."

"Grant, I just want to know if there's anything that can help you. We're willing to try anything." Skye said quickly before he could yell again

"I said there's no help for me! Now go the hell away!" he screamed, dropping back to his knees.

"Grant."

"Go away!" Ward gripped his head in pain. "Please."

Skye gulped and took one, last look at the pained Nephilim before starting to walk away. She didn't even say anymore, she wasn't sure of what to say to him.

She was halfway down the cell corridor before Ward's pained voice echoed out.

"There's a type of blade, I think."

Skye stopped and turned around, seeing Ward standing at the glass. She walked closer, "What?" she asked.

"I think there's type of blade that kills demons." he said quietly. "There's people in this world that fight demons, they use that blade to kill them."

"And it'll kill the demon in you?' Skye asked.

Ward shook his head numbly, "I don't know. That's, that's the only thing I can think of. If you can find you."

"But it'll have to be stabbed into you, right? That'll hurt you."

"I don't think it will, only the demon." Ward replied softly.

"Where do we find it?"

"I don't know. But there's a lot of them, shouldn't be that hard to track down." Ward looked into Skye's eyes and she could see the pain in them, "Please, Skye."

"I'll see what Coulson says." Skye replied.

Ward placed a hand up against the glass, his wings shuffling behind him, "Skye, you know I still love you, right?" he asked. "And I'm afraid this is the last time I'm going to be able to say that."

Skye looked at Ward's scarred face, into his one, good eye. She placed her hand on the outline of his hand, "Don't say that." she said. "You're not going to die. You're not going to become that monster."

"Please just do something. I'm tired of the pain."

Skye smiled softly, "We'll do something, I promise. Grant, I love you." she whispered.

Ward smiled before turning around and not saying anymore, Skye figured that his moment of clarity was gone.

She looked at him one, last time before heading back to Coulson's office. Maybe there really was a way.

But Ward knew something about the blade that Skye didn't. Not everything that he had said about it was true. He just wanted a way for the pain to end.

He didn't care what happened anymore.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Sorry for the wait, been busy. So hope for Ward seems to lie in the form of a blade, but something doesn't seem quite right about it. What was Ward hiding? I don't know. (Check out my other story "Gravity Lies"!) Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	18. Chapter 18 (The Terror is Real)

**Chapter Eighteen (The Terror is Real)**

* * *

" _Now it falls all around me. Did I think I could run away? Now it's coming to find me, this world that I deserve. Now it burns across this shattered earth, I lift my eyes towards fire."_

* * *

"But that means someone will have to _stab _him!" Fitz exclaimed. "You're saying a blade will stop the monster."

"That's what Ward told me." Skye replied, looking at her teammates. "I'm surprised he even talked to me that long. I was almost out of there when he said something about the blade."

"Did he say what it was called?" Coulson asked. "So we can find it."

Skye shook her head, "He didn't say a name. But he said that 'people who fight demons' should have them." she replied.

"There's actually people who fight demons?" Mack asked. "Those exist?"

"Looks like it." Bobbi added.

Hunter frowned, "Wait, I actually think I know I guy like that." he said.

"You know a guy that fights demons?" Simmons asked.

"I always thought he was crazy, but he's a great fighter. Looks like I was wrong about him." Hunter said. "But he might have one of those blade things we need. I can go see about it and get one if I can. Guy's pretty picky about who he works with, it'll be best for me to talk to him since I have already worked with him."

Coulson looked at him, "Really? You actually know a guy that fights demons?"  
he asked.

Hunter shrugged, "Like I said, I always thought that he was crazy and hallucinated." he stated. "And I guess that I was completely wrong about him."

"And are we sure that this blade is going to work?" May asked. "We know that Ward's not in his right mind right now, he could be making everything up now. How can we be sure that he's not wanting a weapon so he can get his way out?"

"Because he would've already done it by now." Skye said. "That demon is capable of getting out, but it's Ward's sheer willpower keeping it contained. He's doing all he can to keep it from hurting us, but he's losing. And I think that this blade is the only way he knows to rid himself of the monster."

"But you'll have to stab him." Fitz repeated.

"Someone will have to, but if it saves him and destroys that beast I'm willing to do it." Skye said.

"Skye, I don't know if that's something you need to be doing." Coulson said solemnly. "I know you love him and want to help him, but I'm afraid he'll end up hurting you."

"It'll be someone else if it isn't me." Skye shot back. "I'd rather it be me than one of you. And I'm probably the only one that he'll let come close. So it'll probably have to be me."

May took a breath, "Skye, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. We don't even know if this is going to work. We don't know what kind of effect it's going to have on him."

"I'll be fine. I just want him to be okay."

"Skye, you're not taking this matter seriously." Simmons cut in. "Coulson's right, we don't know what that blade is really going to do to him. It could totally kill him for all we know. He's just looking for an escape from that demon, and he's willing to die to get rid of it."

"I don't think he would've told me to do something like that." Skye said weakly. "He wouldn't want me to kill him."

"Well, maybe it'll work." Mack said. "Maybe it'll just erase that demon from him and everything will be back to normal. Well except the part that he's half-angel though."

"That's what I'm hoping is going to happen." Skye responded. "We've got to do what we need to do."

Coulson pinched the bridge of his nose, "I really hope this all works." he said. He looked to Bobbi and Hunter, "You two will go find the guy and see if you can bring back one of those blades." he said. "This all really needs to work. I don't want a disaster happening."

* * *

"_Under a falling sky. Hopeless, there's no where to hide. The terror is real this time, under a falling sky. I'm under, I'm under, a falling sky."_

* * *

(Several Hours Later)

Ward sat in agonizing silence curled up on the cot of his cell, his wings wrapped around him. Every nerve and every muscle of his body burned with the pain of hellfire. The demon was trying to claw its way out of him.

He couldn't let that happen anymore. More than once was enough. But the monster was persistent, and its attacks wouldn't cease. Even for one second.

Once Skye had left with the information about the blade, he had relapsed back into unbearable pain. His body trembled with every effort he took to hold the monster back. And he could tell that he wasn't the one that was winning.

Screams from the beast assaulted his head, causing the pain to increase exponentially.

"_I didn't know that your pathetic ass could last this long. You're really something, even though I know you're going to break soon. I will rise when you fall. And all you can do is watch helplessly as I slaughter the ones you call friends. Nothing's going to be left of them. Just give up now, save yourself the trouble and the pain. Give in to me now."_

"No…" Ward muttered. "I'm not going to… Let them die…"

"_And you really think that? There's no hope left for anyone here. There is no salvation. no light. The light has been doused by the darkness, which is me, well, you. You're the darkness, the shadows, the death that will plague these halls. And there is no hero left to vanquish it. There are no victories left for you."_

"I can't… There isn't…" Ward held his head in pain again. "I can't…"

"_You can't hold me back anymore. That's the only 'can't' you can do. Give it up. You'll be free of your pain. Just let me take control and you will no longer suffer."_

"No longer…. Suffer…"

"_That's right, no more suffering. You'll be stronger, stronger than anyone on this pathetic planet. There will be no one that can control you now. You will be superior."_

"No more… No more…."

"_That's right, no more. No more you."_

But Ward didn't register that last part. His body was sent into a violent tremor as the monster tried to take control of him. And he couldn't fight it no longer. No more.

His wings rippled as they tried to shift into the demon's. A demonic growl escaped his lips as he fell off of the bed and onto the cold, steel floor in a spasm. His eyes snapped open to reveal blood-red irises.

A bone-shattering scream pierced the air, that of a demon.

And the heroic soul of the angel was gone, fully consumed by the darkness. The malignity of that hellbeast had shattered what light was left inside of him. Good wouldn't win in this case.

You may think that good always trumps evil, but the evil of the demon that had taken the place of Ward was too powerful. Good wouldn't be the one labeled as victorious this time.

This time, evil would triumph over good. And would just one, small blade be enough?

* * *

"_There you are, so far away. Did you think that I was fighting you? I only wanted to carry you so far away from here. The nightmare bleeds, the poison seeps. I hear you call out screaming, screaming!"_

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Song used is 'Falling Sky' by Red. Using song lyrics as the story starts to wrap up. So Hunter and Bobbi go to find the blade, but it seems that it's already too late. The demon has taken over, and hope is gone. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	19. Chapter 19 (I Never Wanted You to See)

**Chapter Nineteen (I Never Wanted You to See)**

* * *

"_You track the doubts of my soul, until you found it. The darkened room locked away, I let you in. You looked inside then you turned away. My makeshift savior, he left me right here in my chains. But still I whisper, still I call you…."_

* * *

(A Little Bit Later)

Hunter placed the bronze blade adorned with strange runes down on the conference table with a thud. "Look, this better be it." he said. "That guy drove a hard price for this thing. Must be extremely valuable"

"If it kills demons, then it probably is." Coulson said, picking up the blade. "What did you have to do to get it?" he asked.

Hunter blinked, "Uh, nothing of importance. All that matters is that we have it. Now we can get rid of the demon and get Ward as close to normal as we can."

"If it works." May said. "We still don't know if that thing is actually going to work or not."

"But we have to try." Skye responded. "I don't want Grant becoming that demon forever. I want him back, we all do."

"But he's still, uh, going to have to be stabbed." Fitz said, looking at the sharp blade that was still in Coulson's hand.

"I know that." Skye said. "And he knew that when he told me. I don't think he cares that he's going to have a blade in him when it's going to rid him of that demon. Fitz, you didn't see him. He's not doing well. He didn't even want to look at me. He blames himself for the murder of those seven people. He's traumatized."

She pointed to the healing gash on her face, "And he blames himself for hurting me. He's in pain, I don't think he cares that he's going to be stabbed" she continued. "He really doesn't."

Simmons looked down, "And we're not even sure if it's going to do something to him. We don't know if it'll hurt him."

"She's right." Mack added in.

Skye hesitated, "I know we're taking a huge risk here, but it will get rid of the demon. It'll be gone. Yes, I'm afraid for what the blade will do to Grant but he didn't say what it would do to him. It's a huge risk."

"Skye, are you sure this is the right thing?" Bobbi asked.

"Grant said it was and I don't know what else to think." Skye replied. "And I'll do it."

"Skye," Coulson began.

"Coulson, there's nothing else to do." Skye cut it. "Give me the blade and I'll go by myself, it'll work best that way. He'll only open up to me."

Coulson hesitated before handing the blade to Skye, "Please tell me that you know what you're doing."

"Honestly, I really don't."

* * *

"_I never wanted you to see the darkest part of me. I knew you'd run away. I waited, but you never came."_

* * *

(A Little Bit Later)

Skye walked towards the cell corridor, blade in hand. Her stomach churned as something felt off. She hadn't seen a single agent near the cells, they were abandoned.

The only one locked in the cells was Ward, but there should've been a pretty heavy presence of agents around. This troubled her, something was wrong, really wrong.

As she approached the cell that held Ward, she didn't see him. No one was in the cell. Fear took hold of her as she tried to figure out where he could've gone. The cell was intact, no signs of a breakout. But where did he go?

"What are you planning to do with that piece of crap?"

Skye froze at the sound of the familiar-yet-demonic voice. She turned around to see Ward, no, demon Ward standing behind her with a cunning smile plastered on his face, his bat-like wings shuffling behind him.

"Grant,"

"I said, what are you planning to do with that?" he hissed, pointing at the blade.

"To get Grant back."

Ward laughed, "To get me back?" he asked. "I'm not gone, I'm right here. I'm just… Different. I never left, Skye."

"You're not the Grant I know." Skye snapped, bringing the blade up. "You are something totally different. Grant's trapped within you, and I'm going to get him back."

Ward snarled and grabbed Skye by the throat, slamming her into one of the cells, "There is no one to 'get back'." he growled. "I'm not gone, I'm right here. I never left."

"I don't think I ever got him back." Skye said, struggling against Ward's grip, his sharp claws digging into her skin. "He's still dead, he died three years ago. I only got him back momentarily, then you took him over."

"The angel was a pathetic piece of crap!" Ward screeched, throwing Skye aside. "I'm glad I got rid of it! You don't know the power that runs through me! I am better!"

"And you're an asshole!" Skye exclaimed, slowly getting up from the floor.

"What?!" Ward snarled, his red eyes glaring.

"You're arrogant, you're demonic. You don't care who lives or dies, that not you. Grant is gone, I don't know what you are."

Ward's lips curled up, "I guess you're right, he's dead. He's gone and he's never going to come back." he snarled. "But I am still him, no matter what crap you spew." He looked to the blade in Skye's hand, "And that piece of crap isn't going to do a thing to me. You're wasting your time."

"It doesn't hurt to try."

"And do you really think that you have the heart to drive that into me?" he asked. "I know you, Skye. You're not going to do that. I'll kill you first before you work up the nerve to plunge that flimsy metal into my skin."

Skye started to shake, "Yes, that's true. But,"

An alarm pierced the air, cutting her off. Someone must've seen Ward and had activated the alarm system.

Ward snarled, "And they're coming." he growled. He grabbed Skye by the neck again, "We're going somewhere private."

Skye saw the world around her fade away with a gust of air as a new image took her vision. She stumbled as Ward let go of her and she realized that they were in a storage closet further into the base.

"That's better." Ward hissed. "Now no one can find you when I slaughter you and strip your skin from your bones."

"You claim that you're him, but you're not." Skye said, still gripping the blade. "Grant would never do anything to hurt me, he cares too much for me. Well, for any of us for that matter."

Ward came closer to Skye, too close. "And what does that matter?" he asked. "It doesn't. I don't care if you're lying in a heap of blood and gore, I really don't." He drug a clawed finger down Skye's good cheek, opening up a thin, long cut.

"And you don't have the courage to kill me, even if I'm not him." he continued. "Humanly love is pathetic, gets in the way of things."

Skye couldn't breath. Ward was right in her face. Normally she wouldn't mind, but this wasn't him. This was a demon possessing his body. This wasn't Ward.

"You wasted your time getting that blade. You don't have the courage to kill me."

Ward crumpled over as the sudden force of a sharp blade exploded in his gut.

"That's where you're wrong." Skye said, trembling. "I'm stronger than you think. Ward knows that. And you're too busy gloating to even fight back."

Ward's eyes shot to the blade in stomach and then to Skye, blazing red. "What have you done?!" he roared, trying to charge towards her.

But his body seized up and wouldn't respond. "Damn you! Damn you to hell!" he screeched as his body arched up.

Skye watched in fear as a bright, orange light flickered from his eyes and mouth, a heavy, black smoke pouring out and disappearing into the air.

She shielded her eyes from a bright light. And as the light died down, she looked to see Ward's body crumpled on the floor.

Hope filled her as she saw that his black angel wings were back, splayed out around him. But blood pooled underneath him. Should he be bleeding?

She ran over and collapsed beside him, "Grant!" she yelled, shaking him. "Grant!"

His eyes slowly flickered open and a small, weak smile filled his face, "Skye?" he asked. "What?"

"Don't talk, you're bleeding." she said, trying to prop him up against the wall.

Ward tried to sit himself up, but it was only because of Skye's help that he was able to. Blood flowed heavily from his stomach.

"You're bleeding. The blade was only supposed to hurt the demon." she cried.

"I… Lied about the blade.."

"What?"

Ward looked ashamed, "I saw no other way out than the blade. Yes, the blade kills demons. But, it can't distinguish between a demon and an angel of death. Angels are being of light, but angels of death are dark creatures."

"Grant? What are you saying?"

"I'm, I'm dying."

Skye's face completely fell and she didn't know what to say. "Why didn't you tell me that the blade would kill you?" she asked.

"Because I, I knew that you wouldn't do it if you knew." he replied, growing weaker. "The blade was the only way."

"But you, you can't die!"

"Skye, I was supposed to die three years ago. I didn't ask for any of this. I was supposed to stay dead, but I didn't."

"Grant,"

Ward moved his wing open slightly, "Skye, come here." he said softly.

Skye quickly moved in next to him, and Ward wrapped his wing around her.

"I don't want to lose you, Grant." she cried softly.

"Skye, I don't think I fully ever came back." Ward replied. "You're not really even losing me."

Skye looked off to the side, not saying anything.

Ward coughed, blood coming up, but he ignored it. After a while, he spoke, "I never told you who didn't let you die that day, did I?" he asked.

Skye numbly shook her head, moving closer to him.

"It was me."

She looked up, "You? You're the angel that wouldn't let me die?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

He nodded weakly, "I couldn't stand the thought of you dying." he said. "I couldn't do it. I broke one of the biggest rules of the Reapers and got cast out because I still loved you, I couldn't let go. I wasn't supposed to love."

"But I'm alive."

"And look where that got me. I got cast out of Heaven, turned into a Nephilim, then into a demon, now, now I'm dying." Ward looked down, "But you're safe, you're alive. That's all that matters."

"But you're the one dying, Grant."

"Like I said, I'm still supposed to be dead. This doesn't matter. But I'll still be there for you, Skye."

Skye closed her eyes, "I love you, Grant." she whispered.

"I love you too."

Moments of silence followed before sleep caught Skye in its grip. She hadn't slept in the past few days, and now the grief had pulled her into sleep.

And so she fell asleep in Ward's dying arms, protected by one of his wings. Ward weakly smiled, looking at the woman he loved.

He coughed violently, even more blood coming up. His eyes grew heavy as death fought to drag him down. He fought to stay awake, stay awake for Skye. But his eyes closed as he drifted off.

* * *

"_So afraid to be alone, I tried to let you go. And still I find you lost inside the darkest part of me."_

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Song is 'Darkest Part' by Red. So yeah, a lot for one chapter but I'm trying to finish this up. So the demon is gone, but Ward didn't 'react' well to the blade. He's dying. So will everything work out, or will they lose him once again? Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	20. Chapter 20 (Of These Chains)

**Chapter Twenty (Of These Chains)**

* * *

_"Here we are at the end now. I need to see you, but I only want to stay with you. I never asked to be the one to set me free. Another match that only she could see."_

* * *

(Sometime Later)

Coulson dashed down the halls of the base along with May and Hunter, alarms still blaring. "Why did we let her go by herself?!" he exclaimed over the blare. "Why?!"

"We didn't know that he would attack." May said. "We didn't know."

"But he did." Hunter added in. "He's gone and he has Skye. She wasn't in the cell area, neither was he. That's the only logical explanation to what happened. He went berserk, attacked Skye, and then took her somewhere. And there's no telling to where."

"He couldn't have gotten off of the base without being seen." Coulson said. "They're still in here, somewhere."

"And where would that be?" May asked as the alarm shut off.

"Good, those went off." Hunter grumbled, rubbing his ears as they still ran. "But, Coulson, where would they be. I don't think Skye is even alive right now. That monster is a murderer, I wouldn't put it past that thing to rip Skye limb by limb."

Coulson flinched, "Don't even go there, I'm not thinking to that yet." he cut in. "She's still got to be alive. We may have lost Ward to that monster, but Skye can't be. Not yet. We need to find her before it's too late."

"We don't even know where they're at." Hunter said. "I know Bobbi and the others are looking as well, but this is a huge ass base. There's no telling to where they're at."

"I know that." Coulson said. "But that won't keep us from looking and trying. We have to find her alive, and hopefully we can safe Ward as well if he's not too far gone."

"Didn't she have the blade?" May asked.

"Yes, but I don't know if she was able to stab him. It's Ward we're talking about, she loves him too much to do something like that." Coulson responded.

"But I don't," Hunter began, but a grief-filled scream from nearby cut him off.

"_Grant!"_

The three agents stopped dead in their tracks, looking at one another.

"That sounded like Skye." May said.

"And she was yelling Ward's name, and not in a good way." Hunter said. "Something's wrong. Either the demon got her or the demon got Ward."

"That didn't sound like a scream of terror, there was grief in that scream." Coulson said lowly. "Something happened to Ward, and it doesn't sound good. But they're nearby, we can find them. We're going, now."

* * *

"_Let me take you where I go, where I go. I don't want to do this on my own, on my own. I'm breaking free. But of these chains, let this one remain. Let me take where I go."_

* * *

(Moments Earlier)

Skye groaned as she peeled her tear-crusted eyes open. She had drifted off in Ward's arms, one of his wings surrounding her. She tried to move, but found his wing lying heavy and limp on her. There was no movement coming from the half-angel.

Her heart skipped several beats as she pushed his massive wing off of her and kneeled beside him.

Ward's half-scarred face was pale in the low light of the closest. Blood was dried in the corner of his mouth, running down towards his chin. Blood was dried on his torn gray shirt from where the blade had been. No movement stirred his body.

"Grant." Skye said sharply, shaking him. "Grant."

No response.

She grew more frantic, "Grant! Grant!" she screamed, shaking him harder. Fear took a hold of her as she checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

He was dead.

Tears came uncontrollably as the ground started to shake slightly.

"Grant! Grant!" she screamed. "Please! Wake up! Wake up!"

But he wouldn't wake up, never. Ward was gone and wouldn't come back. He had given everything to protect the team from the monster within him. He was dead and gone.

And of course Skye felt responsible for his death. But Ward had wanted that. And she didn't know that it would kill him in the end. All she thought was that it would rid him of the demon.

Her head hung low as she couldn't bear to look at his deceased frame no more. He was gone, never to return.

He wouldn't magically reappear as an angel three years later. His chance at life was forever extinguished.

And he chose to spend his last moments with Skye nestled beside him, protected by his wing.

In the end, he died protecting the team from a demonic malignity that would've surely killed them all. He died trying to kill his darkest part.

Skye didn't know what to do as she looked at Ward's lifeless, broken form propped up against the stone wall of the storage room. He was forever a lost cause.

And all of this was because of love. He had fallen because he still love Skye too much to take her to her death. Then he was pursued by demons until he himself was turned into one and driven to the brink of insanity. And then only to bleed out against a stone cold wall in a last act of love.

That humanly love that shouldn't had harbored itself inside of him. But he couldn't give it up, even when he wasn't human.

"Skye!"

Skye looked numbly towards the door to see Coulson, May, and Hunter burst into the room.

Their eyes immediately shot to Ward's lifeless body and they all froze seeing the amount of blood that had been spilled.

"Skye? What?" Hunter asked.

"He lied. The blade… It killed the demon… But his angel form…. The blade took it too…" Skye muttered, too engulfed in grief to care.

"Took it too?" May asked.

"Skye, please don't tell me," Coulson began.  
"He's dead." Skye said sorrowfully. "Grant's dead. And it's my fault."

"No, it can't be…." Coulson said, not sure of what to say as the grief and shock took him it their grip.

"I was the one who drove the blade into him!" Skye screamed, sending a shockwave through the stone floor and causing it to tremble. "I killed him! Grant's dead because of me!"

* * *

"_I can still feel you now in this cage. Every night, another piece. Free to open up the door to whom I was before. And if I let go of these dreams can I just hold on?"_

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Song is 'Of These Chains' by Red. Yeah, short chapter for such a,well, heartbreaker. So Ward's dead and Skye blames herself. Not good, not good one bit. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	21. Chapter 21 (Part That's Holding On)

**Chapter Twenty-One (Part That's Holding On)**

* * *

"_It all looks different now, but it was right in front of me. The memories fall around of everything I used to be. Can I let it go when I still feel your echoes? I watched you disappear, but I can't make myself believe."_

* * *

"Get her out of here, now." Coulson ordered, holding the grieving Skye back from Ward's lifeless body. He looked to May, "Mel, please. Before something bad happens."  
"I'm not leaving him!" Skye screamed. "No! No! It's my fault! I killed him!" she cried, struggling in Coulson's grip.

Coulson grabbed her by the shoulders and looked straight into her eyes, "Skye, it's not your fault." he said softly. "It isn't. You only thought that the blade would kill the demon, you didn't know. It's not your fault."

"But," Skye whimpered, tears streaming down her face.

"It's not your fault. Go with May and get washed up. Hunter and I will deal, we'll deal with Grant." Coulson said, trying to calm her down before she caused a massive earthquake. "Everything will be okay."

Skye let May take her by the arm, but she looked down, "No, it won't. It will never be okay. He's dead, and he won't be coming back this time." she muttered. "And it's my fault."

Hunter took a breath, "Skye, you're not to blame. If anything, blame the demon. Everything is that monster's fault. You didn't kill Ward, the demon did. Don't put this burden on yourself."

"I don't know, Lance. I don't know what to think. I drove that blade into him because I was afraid. Only if he had told me that it would kill him too…"

"And it's not his fault either." May said sternly. "Only the demon's. Skye, please, don't blame yourself or anybody else, just the monster. Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Coulson will figure out what to do with Ward." May looked to Hunter, "Hunter, go find the others. Tell them what's going on."

Hunter nodded gloomily and went out of the storage room.

May looked back to the grief-stricken Skye, "Now, let's get you to where you can get some rest. You haven't slept in days and this isn't helping." she said softly.

Skye nodded numbly, taking one, last hesitant look back at Ward's corpse before following May out of the room.

Coulson took a long breath, dragging his hands through his hair. He looked back to Ward's body, "Now, Grant, what are we going to do with you?" he muttered sadly to himself. "We've lost you again, and for good this time."

He sighed and turned around to face the door, grief taking him in its grip. "I'll find someone to help me get you. We'll do a nice proper burial, again. And, and…. We'll…." he trailed off, not having the strength to say anymore.

Coulson walked out of the room, head hung low in grief and in defeat. But he was too busy to notice the sound of rustling behind him and the gush of air.

* * *

"_I gave it all, but you were fading. Where'd you go, all alone? I couldn't stay. Another fall, through the dark of the shadows. I reached for you, only you. There's still a part, a part that's holding on."_

* * *

(Elsewhere)

Darkness surrounded him, Death greeted him like an old friend. But he can been Death, so was he just coming face to face with himself? This was the second time he had died, but why did it feel like nothing?

No one came to greet him this time. No angel in a cloak offering him somewhat of a second chance. Nothing that would lead to his ultimate downfall. There was nothing.

And this nothing felt nice, peaceful. He didn't care that he was dead, gone for good. As long as nothing else happened to him, as long as nothing else happened to the team, or Skye.

Skye. He knew that she felt horrible, guilt for driving the blade into him. But he had never told her that it would kill him too, so it technically wasn't her fault. But guilt piled onto him, pushing him down in this sea of darkness.

What was this darkness anyways? This wasn't Heaven or hell. Was this in between? But this didn't seem like the Netherrealm. This was nowhere. What was going on? Something felt way off.

Then he saw the familiar, black-cloaked figure striding towards him.

The Grim Reaper.

The air reverberated as he spoke, "I see that the demon took your life in the end. There was nothing I could do to help for that."

"Then why did you leave me all by myself to fend for myself?" he asked.

"You were cast out, I no longer commanded you. But you did your best to protect the ones you call friends and the woman you love. I see why you disobeyed the rules to keep her from death. She's strong, she cares for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I am offering you a proposition."

"What?"

"You aren't technically fully dead yet, I can bring you back. Back to your friends."

"You, you can?"

Grim nodded, "Only because you're not fully dead. This is in between the realms of Heaven and hell, this isn't even technically the Netherrealm. But there is a drawback, you'll be human."

"Human?"

"No angelic grace, no demonic hellfire. Just human blood running through your veins. The demon side of you was destroyed, leaving a really weak human side which died when the angel burned away. What's left of you now is human, and that's all that can be brought back."

"So, so I can be _normal _again?"

"If that's how you put it, then yes. Unfortunately, there are setbacks. This technically ripped your wings from you, the marks of them, scars, will be left. And the memories of what happened to you won't go away."

"I'm sure I can deal."

"And I think you can. Do we have a deal."

"Yes."

"Then enjoy your human life."

* * *

"_Can we call it fair? Or was it just a dire game? Who's the winner now when I can't even speak your name? Caught inside the dream when you were reaching back for me. Did you get lost inside, or did you disappear?"_

* * *

(Two Days Later, SHIELD Base.)

Skye lay numbly on her bed in a depressive state, not caring since Ward had died. And she was still blaming herself. That wouldn't go away, this was a permanent scar.

The sound of footsteps made her look up. Fitzsimmons stood in the doorway along with Mack, grief still showing in their faces.

"Skye, we're having lunch. Altogether." Simmons said. "You coming?"

"Not hungry."

"You need to eat sometime." Mack said. "I know you're, well, not doing great, but you've got to eat something. You're just going to make yourself sick. You don't want Simmons sticking an IV into you, do you?"

"I don't care." she mumbled, burying her head into the pillows. "I don't."

Fitz sighed, "Skye, we're all still reeling." he said softly. "We still all grieving, but you need to take care of yourself."

"I'll eat later, go away."

Simmons hesitated, "Skye… Never mind. As long as you eat something and clean up." she said. "I'll check on you later."

Skye heard the three agents walk away but didn't bother to say goodbye, she was still hurting way too much to care.

Ward was gone because of her and she would always blame herself for his death, no matter what anyone said. She began to cry softly into her pillows again.

Minutes passed. Hell, it could've been hours for all she cared. Time became nothing in her grief.

Footsteps sounded behind her, but she didn't look up. Not until the all-too-familiar voice spoke, caring and soft.

"Skye?"

Skye bolted up, her eyes bloodshot from tears. She began to tremble as the color drained from her face at the sight of who stood at the foot at her bed, out of nowhere.

The scarred countenance with the sharp cheekbones. Those soft, brown eyes. That caring smile.

"Grant?"

He smiled, "Skye."

She couldn't believe it, Ward stood at the foot of her bed.

Grant Ward was alive.

* * *

"_I gave it all, but you were fading. Where'd you go, all alone? I couldn't stay. Another fall, through the dark of the shadows. I reached for you, only you. There's still a part, a part that's holding on."_

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Song is 'Part That's Holding On' by Red. So Ward's alive, but human now. You knew that I couldn't keep him dead for long. He always survives somehow. But how will the team take this? I don't know. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	22. Chapter 22 (Of What Remains)

**Chapter Twenty-Two (Of What Remains)**

Ward blinked, the soft look in his brown eyes comforting Skye, "Skye." he repeated again, still smiling. "It's me."

Skye bolted off her bed and threw herself into Ward's arms, "What the hell Grant?!" she exclaimed while having her head buried in his chest. She pushed herself back and looked up at him, "You were dead. I saw you." she said softly. "You were dead."

"I guess I wasn't totally dead." Ward said. "Well, I was and was allowed to live."

"Allowed to live?" Skye asked. "What? I saw your dead body. Hell, your body disappeared. We couldn't find it."

Ward shrugged, "I don't know about that part. But I was in between Heaven and hell, not fully dead. Then my old boss, the commander of the Reapers, came to me. Offered me another chance, but with several drawbacks."

"Drawbacks?"

"Skye," Ward took a breath. "I'm human."

Skye's face fell, "_Human?_ You mean that you're not an angel anymore?" she asked.

Ward shook his head, "No angel, no demon, no half-creature. I'm fully human. The demon side was destroyed and left a weak human side that died when the angel died. The human side was able to be brought back. I'm nothing more than human now, Skye. I'm actually _normal_.

I don't have wings, I can't summon a scythe, and I don't have some monstrous side waiting to tear its way out of me. I'm normal." he continued.

Skye embraced him in another hug, "But you're here to stay, right?" she asked. "No demons, no more dying."

Ward nodded and kissed the top of her head, taking in the soft scent of her hair, "Don't worry, I'm here to stay. For the rest of our lives." he said softly. "I won't leave you again. No more dying, no more betrayal, no more turning into a psychopathic monster." He traced the scar on her right cheek from where the monster had attacked her, "I won't hurt you again."

"Please make that a promise." Skye whispered. "A promise that you will keep."

"I promise, Skye. I won't leave you alone again." Ward said softly. "I won't, don't worry."

The two continued to stand there in each other's embrace until a husk British voice broke the silence.

"Hey, Skye, you…." the voice trailed off.

Ward and Skye turned around to see Hunter standing in the doorway, eyes as wide as saucers and his jaw practically on the floor.

"_Ward?_" he asked. "What the bloody hell is going on? You're dead, you shouldn't be here."

Ward smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "Long story? But I'm alive?"

"I call witchcraft or something. How the hell are you here?" Hunter continued. "What is going on?"

"Again, it's a very long story." Ward repeated. "Where's everyone else?" he asked.

"Planning on your _funeral._" Hunter replied. "But looks like that's got to be canceled since you're freaking alive."

"Sorry to rain on your parade." Ward retorted. "But I'm very much alive."

"Don't go sassing me when you've been dead for two days." Hunter shot back. "I'm the one that sasses around here."

"Oh my God, he's actually being truthful about himself." Skye laughed.

Hunter shot Skye a look.

Skye rolled her eyes and looked back to Ward, "Grant, I guess we need to, well, tell everyone else that you're magically alive. Again. Please tell me this is the last time that you magically come back to life."

"I'm pretty sure it is." Ward laughed.

"Either be prepared to be killed again or be screamed at." Hunter said nonchalantly. "You know what will happen."

"Do I even want to know?" Ward asked, unsure of what to think.

"Probably not."

Skye took Ward by the arm, "Come on, Grant." she whined. "I know everyone else will be wanting to see you. Maybe they'll welcome you better than Hunter here did."

Hunter furrowed his eyebrows, "What? I'm glad to see him. I'm just not the, well, loving type."

"I see what you do with Bobbi." Skye said lowly. "There is some loving type in you."

Ward's eyes widened, "Next subject, please!" he exclaimed, "Do not go into that!"

Skye laughed while Hunter became flustered, "Come on, let's go find them. Just don't try to give anyone a heart attack or something."

"I'll try my best."

* * *

(A Few Moments Later)

Skye found the team sprawled around one of the base's common rooms. They all sat up as she came in, surprised to see that she was out of her room.

"Skye, you're actually walking around?" Fitz asked.

Coulson frowned, walking towards her as Hunter came in, "Skye, what's up?" he asked. "You seem…. Happy. What's going on?"

"You won't believe it, but it happened. _Again._" Skye replied.

"Again?" Mack asked.  
"Skye, what happened?" May asked, coming to stand by Coulson.

"Well… I can't exactly explain it." Skye replied. She looked towards the door and Ward walked in.

And of course, the team's reactions pretty much matched Hunter's.

"_Ward?!" _they all exclaimed.

"Surprise?" he said, standing by Skye.

"What the bloody hell?" Simmons asked.

"That's what I said." Hunter called out. "Said the same, exact same thing."

"Mind telling us what is going on here?" Bobbi asked. "Because I as sure as hell don't know."

Coulson looked to Ward, "Ward, what is going on here?" he asked. "Because we were just planning your _funeral _and now you're here."

"I said that too." Hunter added in.

"Shut up, Lance." Skye said.

Ward sighed and proceeded to tell the team just how on Earth he was back, and alive.

"So you're human now?" Simmons asked. "No angel, no demon?"

Ward nodded, "None of that, just human." he replied. "And I promise that I'm not going to die again. I'm here to stay. I'm not leaving."  
"All this supernatural stuff hurts my head." Mack grumbled. "I can't keep track of what's happened to you anymore."

"So, no chances of turning into a, uh, uh, monster?" Fitz asked.

Ward smiled, "No, no chances, Fitz. I don't think that there's anymore monsters inside of me."

"Good."

The team started to say their welcome backs to Ward, glad that they knew that he was here to stay now. There were no more monsters and demons to fight. No angels, no reapers. Just a human with a monstrous guilt.

But don't think that someone who had been through literal hell and back wouldn't be left unscathed. There would be prices to pay, guilt to be felt, pain to be withheld.

But at least Ward had support that would help him get through his tribulations.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So the reactions for Ward and he's received pretty well. So, yeah, one chapter left. It'll deal with the repercussions of his guilt and the trauma of the whole experience. So, yeah. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


	23. Chapter 23 (Will Never be the Same)

**Chapter Twenty-Three (It Will Never be the Same)**

(Five Days Later, the Middle of the Night)

Ward awoke with a start, breathing heavily and covered in a cold sweat. The gruesome images of his night terror rapidly fading away. He looked over to Skye who slept soundly beside him, tangled in the bedsheets that covered her.

He clenched his teeth as he brought his knees close to his chest. It had been five days since he had been brought back. five days since he was made human again. five nights of hell.

The nightmares wouldn't stop. Blood-filled visions of the team torn apart by some unknown force, only to find out that it was him. The same thing over and over, getting worse each night.

His experience had left him traumatized. He jumped at every little thing. Simmons had said that it was signs that he was developing some form of PTSD. He didn't believe her. He thought that that was something soldiers got, not half-angels turned demon for several days.

But Ward didn't know what else to think. He felt horrible. The seven lives he took. Threatening the entire team's lives. Hurting Skye. Twice.

Everyone had insisted that it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't believe that. He couldn't help but feel the guilt crashing down onto him. He hung his head low, taking in the silence.

Not until Skye stirred.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

Ward looked up and over to see Skye sitting up beside him, "Uh, nothing." he muttered.

"You don't look like nothing." she said, reaching over and turning on the small light beside the bed. "You look horrible. What's wrong? Did you have another nightmare?" she asked.

Ward took a shallow breath, "I guess." he mumbled. "Same thing as always."

Skye sighed, "Grant, it'll be okay." she said softly. "It'll go away in time. And you're not to blame for what happened."

"You keep saying that, but I can't help but think otherwise." Ward responded lowly. "I know it'll eventually start to fade, but it'll always be there."

"And you'll be fine." Skye repeated. "You've got me. You've got the entire team to help you." She planted a small kiss on his cheek.

Ward gave a small smile, slightly blushing, "You really think so?" he asked.

"Yes, I do. Now go clean up or something. You're covered in sweat."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not" Skye stated sharply. "As long as you're sweaty, you're not falling asleep next to me."

Ward rolled his eyes, still trying to shake off the dream, "Really?" he asked.

"Yes, now go clean up." Skye said, pointing towards the small bathroom.

"Fine." he huffed, sliding out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom.

Ward turned on the light as he slipped his shirt off, which was covered in the cold sweat.

Skye watched him as he washed his face. Her eyes fell onto two massive lines on his back. "Grant, what's that on your back?" she asked.

"What?" he asked, sticking his head out the door.

"Your back." Skye repeated.

Ward blinked, drying his face off and coming out of the bathroom, "Oh, yeah, that." he said. "What about it?"

"Where did those marks come from?" Skye asked. "They look like scars."  
"Well, my wings didn't just disappear." Ward said, starting to find a clean shirt. "They were technically ripped from me. That leaves scars. Memories of what I was. Like the scar on my face, a memory of the day I died."

Skye blinked, "So they're memories of the angel?"

"I guess." Ward said, slipping on a clean shirt. "The angel, the demon, all of that. I may be human now, but what I was will always be there. The demon may be the trauma, but the angel is the scars."

"Sounds kind of poetic coming from you."

"Me? Poetic?" Ward scoffed, turning off the bathroom light. "Give me a break. I thought I was a 'soulless robot'."

"That was years ago. You're different now." Skye said as Ward slipped back into bed.

"Different how? In a good way or a bad way?" Ward asked, looking over at her.

"Definitely a good way. Much better than what you were."

"The heartless bastard or the half-angel, half-demon?" Ward asked, giving her a small smile.

"The heartless bastard. Hell, the demon was better than that. That says something." Skye replied.

"Now I'm you're scarred ex-angel." Ward said.

Skye rolled her eyes, "Give me a break, Grant. Don't get cocky now."

"Well it's true. Okay, what do you want to call me?" Ward asked. "If I can't describe myself."

Skye smiled, "That's going to take a while." she said, turning off the light and leaving Ward in the darkness.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"  
"Goodnight, Grant."

"But,"

"I said goodnight!"

* * *

(The Next Day)

Ward awoke about eight the next morning, which was really late for him. Once he was dressed, he found Skye in the kitchen that the team mainly used. "Why didn't you wake me two hours ago?" he asked.  
Skye looked at him, taking another bite of cereal, "Uh, I thought you needed the sleep, considering that the both of us were up in the middle of the night." she said through bites of the food. "Doesn't hurt to sleep in every now and then, especially for you, Mr. Gets-Up-at-Five."

"Drop it." Ward muttered, going to the fridge. He looked back at Skye, "Where's the eggs?" he asked.  
"Fitz ate them." Hunter said, walking into the room along with Fitzsimmons.

"Don't call me out!" Fitz exclaimed.

"There was only two left anyways, Ward." Simmons said, looking at the man. "On another note, how was your sleeping patterns last night?" she asked.

"Fine."

Skye shot Ward a look, "Don't lie, Grant." she stated harshly. She looked to the biochemist, "He woke up in the middle of the night from another nightmare, woke me too."

"Maybe if you didn't sleep in the same bed as him." Hunter muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Uh, nothing."

Simmons sighed and looked back to Ward, "Same thing?" she asked.

Ward nodded, getting a glass of juice, "Yes, same thing. Slightly worse this time." he said.

Simmons noted what he said, "Don't worry, it should get better in time. No one gets out of something like what happened to you unscathed. There's going to be scars, visible and invisible. You'll face problems. And they'll take time to get over. But you'll have help."

Ward smiled, "Thanks." he said.

"I'm not helping him." Hunter said.

Skye shot him a look.

"Whatever."

Ward ignored this, "Where's the others?" he asked.

"Bobbi's in the gym, Mack's working on something, and May's with Coulson somewhere." Fitz said. "I don't know."

"I thought that Lance would've been with Bobbi." Skye snickered.

Hunter's eyes widened, "I'm not _that _attached to her."

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

Ward stood off to the side along with Fitzsimmons, watching as Skye and Hunter got into a massive debate. Ward rolled his eyes, he may have been glad to be back, but this was one thing he didn't miss.

And he knew that things would never be the same.

-END-

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So, that's the end unfortunately. Mostly fluff and seeing some of the side effects the whole mess left on Ward. I really hoped that you enjoyed! PLEASE review! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.


End file.
